


Seeing Purple

by lrhaboggle



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Army, Asexual, Bi, Bisexual, Camp, Eye Color, Eyes, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Gay, Gen, Genderqueer, Genetics, Gift, LGBT, Lesbian, Love, M/M, Multi, Nonbinary, Novel, OC, Original Story - Freeform, Other, Pan - Freeform, Romance, SOLDIER - Freeform, Science, Sexuality, Slow Burn, Sorting, Special Abilities, Special Powers, Story, Trans, War, War Camps, Warrior - Freeform, YA, ace - Freeform, alien - Freeform, army camps, first original story of mine, genes, gifted, hero - Freeform, long story, mediocre, non fanfic, not fanfic, original - Freeform, power, queer, sci fi, slow story, teen, young adult
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-05-02 11:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 68
Words: 190,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14543724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lrhaboggle/pseuds/lrhaboggle
Summary: It's been 13 years since the monstrous aliens known as Noctifers first laid eye upon the little country of Denbar and although Denbar's army still has a lot of fight left, it's not getting any easier. Maybe, however, they just need a new type of soldier, maybe they just need to see things differently.





	1. Iris Long

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first original story and I must say that as cringey, cliché and slow as it may be, I view it as my own child. I've poured literal years of my life into it and am very proud of it, despite its flaws. I hope that even if you dislike it, you can at least appreciate the care I've put into my work and will give it a chance. And if you have anything to add, whether it be to the plot, characters, setting or simple constructive criticism, it is always welcome!
> 
> (By the way, I've got this full story completed with two sequels and three prequels also already written. I'm just posting chapters in spurts as I polish them up. I will update chapter count, archive warnings, and tags as I come to them.)

Ever since the ruthless aliens known as Noctifers first landed their ship on Denbar’s eastern border, the once proud-country had been up to its neck in battle. The country was now low in numbers, supplies, bodies, and victories. But despite this fact, the country was not low in spirit. On the contrary, every Denbarian was just as determined to win the war now as they had been 13 years ago when the alien ship first landed. Part of this vigor came from the fact that the Noctifers were not a new enemy. 200 years ago, another war between humans and Noctifer had occurred and, back then, the humans had emerged victorious. They wanted to keep the winning streak going. In fact, ads calling for new recruits for the army were still going strong. There were fewer people around now, but fresh blood did still come and it always came willingly, no matter how small the numbers. People came from all over Denbar, from every town, city, or state. One of the most surprising of these new recruits was a girl from the state called Labelle. Her choice to join the army was surprising for several reasons.

First and foremost was her location of origin. Labelle was Denbar’s center state. Even though every Denbarian state was, by law, relatively equal in terms of wealth, resource, and quality of life, Labelle was always treated a cut above the rest. This was because it housed the government, Archon. Archon’s main HQ was in the heart of Labelle so it made sense that Labelle would be slightly more protected than any other state. This new recruit, being from Labelle, had a pretty privileged, easy, luxurious, loving life. It came as a surprise to many that she would give up such an easy and wonderful life for the trials and tribulations of the army. It was the first thing that made her stand out.

The second thing was her stature and demeanor. Both were small. Physically, she was tiny and unintimidating, far too cute and clean to be scary. And personality wise, she was known for being very kind, playful and open. It wasn’t exactly the aura one expected from a soldier who spent day after day fighting off alien invaders. But that was what made her choice to join the army all the more impressive. Despite her tiny size and quiet, polite, obedient nature, she could be a powerhouse when she wanted to be. It didn’t matter that she was at least half a head below everyone else, what she lacked in size, she made up for in raw desire and determination. 

“What’s your name, missy?!” the recruiter barked at the girl, voice loud from years of yelling at soldiers on the frontline.  
“Iris Long,” the girl replied, voice comically calm and soft when compared to the recruiter’s bellow.  
“Have you ever trained with the army before?!” he demanded, still taken aback that such a tiny and polished kid would be wanting to join the army.  
“No sir,” the tiny brunette promised sincerely. It was clear the giant recruiter didn’t believe her, though, and he even made a point of bending down to look her in the eyes, but when all he received was an eerily calm and unruffled stare in return, he huffed in defeat. He stood again, returning to his original height of one and a half heads taller than Iris, then moved to the recruit to her left. That was when the recruit on her right began to talk.  
“I swear I’m going to go deaf before we’re done,” she whispered and Iris chuckled.  
“I’ll bet he gets paid by the decibel,” she said and the other girl laughed back. Her name was Clover Eves and she was Iris’ best friend. 

Iris and Clover had met when they were both five years old. Clover and her father, Rusty, had just moved into Labelle from some other Denbar state further south. This, of course, meant that Clover was the shy, frightened, and lonely new kid, but from the moment peppy little Iris invited Clover over to play, the pair had been best friends. Even now, 13 years later, the two were still nigh inseparable and some even thought they were sisters, though they looked nothing alike. Clover was relatively lanky and very pale. She also had orange hair and blue eyes. Iris, meanwhile, was tiny and compact and her skin was a tannish color, a very light shade of brown. She had curly brown hair and purple eyes. Yes. Purple eyes.

The third thing that made Iris so special when compared to other recruits was her eyes. Or to be more specific, their strange color. Purple. As far as Iris knew, she had been born like that, but she was just as confused as everyone else as to how such a thing was possible. Nobody knew. Neither her parents, nor any doctor, nor the people who ran the orphanage from which Iris had been adopted from knew why Iris’ eyes were purple. But nobody ever gave Iris much grief for it. Though her eyes were a source of interest and speculation from strangers, it didn’t take long for anyone to get accustomed to them and Iris had never suffered any bullying for this. And Iris really did like her eyes, she was just confused as to how it was possible. There were no records of birthparents and her genes were unreadable. She supposed it would just have to remain a mystery… But the one thing Iris could’ve lived without was The Question. It was a short, simple and usually innocent one but everyone asked it, including her parents, Clover, Clover’s family, and everyone else Iris ever met. The recruiter even had asked when he first saw Iris’ iris irises. 

“WHY ARE YOUR EYES PURPLE?!” the recruiter had screamed at her the moment his gray eyes met her bright purple ones when the physical tests began. His voice was even louder due to the shock of seeing such oddly colored eyes.  
“I was born this way,” Iris had replied calmly, but a note of anger lay just beneath the surface. She knew it was an innocent question and nobody ever pushed her or gave her a hard time about it, but 18 years of answering the same question every time she met someone did get tiring…

“FASTER!” the recruiter thundered and Iris and Clover turned to see him yelling at the boy who had been on Iris’ left. If the recruiter had been surprised by Iris and her strange, purple eyes before, he was over it by now and he was back yelling at a poor boy who couldn’t run fast enough to please him. Iris felt sympathetic for the boy’s plight, but it was kind of funny to see him do an odd little step-hop in reply to the shout.  
“I think you were right about the decibels,” Clover whispered to Iris again and Iris laughed.

But in time, that part of the army recruitment test ended and it was onto the next section, though that section wasn’t much better.  
“Awww! The writing part! I totally forgot!” Clover groaned. “I thought we finished this type of exam when we graduated!”  
“Calm down, Clover, I heard that it was nothing like a school exam. Instead, it sounds more like a questionnaire than a test,” Iris tried to explain.  
“I hope you’re right,” her orange-haired best friend replied miserably. It was just that neither Iris nor Clover were valedictorians and both of them had hated every test their school ever made them take. The thought of facing another one here wasn’t fun, but it had to be done, so… The group all sat reluctantly at a desk and, when instructed, started the writing part of the ART.

Soon enough, however, it was over, and Iris proved to be right. Although there was some memory-based questions, most were more about what kind of learner one was. It asked how and why someone learned and remembered as opposed to what they learned or remembered. In addition, at the end, all the questions became scenario based like, “If you saw this happen, what would you do and why?”. Those questions didn’t technically have an answer. So all in all, for a written test, that particular exam wasn’t a problem at all.

“Thank Denbar!” Clover sighed. “And now the ART is over and we are free!” she added. The other recruits who heard her realized that she was right and they all began to cheer too. It had been a long, grueling day of physical, mental, emotional and healthful testing. A well-deserved rest and maybe some dinner was totally in order. Now they just had to wait one week to get the test results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we go, the first chapter of my first original story. How did you like it so far? If it seemed... lackluster... keep in mind that it was only an intro. I'm hoping things get better in later chapters, so don't give up on it yet! Please, read on...


	2. Four War Camps

The next week passed by in a flash, both Iris and Clover quitting their jobs as they prepped to enter the world of alien war.   
“I’m going to miss that place!” Iris sighed as she drove away from her workplace for the last time.  
“You’re crazy!” Clover snorted, having been the one to pick Iris up just for fun. She’d thrown her two weeks in ages ago.  
“Perhaps,” Iris admitted with a laugh. “But I was always lucky to have a good job.”  
“That you were,” Clover grunted again. Her own job was far from bad, but she was glad to be done with it! In fact, the moment Iris came to her, stating that she was serious in her decision to join the army, Clover had signed up as well and then put her two weeks in just one hour later. Iris would never know where this intense loyalty had come from, but she was eternally grateful for it. She may have wanted to join the army of her own free will, but the idea of Clover joining her was a wonderful one and now, both of them were finally about to enter the army for real, their old jobs long behind them. Neither of them would ever return to that life again. 

Now, the way the recruitment testing went, one could take the test whenever they pleased and they would always get the results a week later, but recruits didn’t ship off officially until the first day of the month. By chance, it just so happened that Clover also could’ve waited to throw her two weeks in, but she didn’t, quitting as soon as she could. Iris, however, did wait, working until the very last day possible.   
“You’ll miss your job because you’re crazy,” Clover repeated with a chuckle and Iris echoed her as they drove from town back to their homes. 

It was strange, both of them thought, to realize that their whole country was at war. It was partly because things were so nice and normal here. Those safe inside Denbar were sheltered from the harsh reality and the brutal violence. To everyone inside of Denbar’s borders, alien war was as distant a notion as tomorrow’s weather. It could happen, but it might not, and even if it did, it may not happen to them specifically. Of course, everyone knew the four war camps around the country were in constant battle and peril, no one forgot that, it was just hard, sometimes to think that they were all living in the same world at the same time just because of how vastly different things were between there and inside Denbar. Even though Iris and Clover had both recruited for the army and swore an oath that they understood how this career might kill them, it felt so hard to believe it because neither of them had ever seen a real battle. Perhaps in time, they would understand, but for now, things seemed too nice to worry.

After awhile, the two girls made it home and parted at Iris’ doorstep, Iris going inside while Clover drove a few doors down the road.  
“Hi, honey!” two voices greeted Iris as she entered her luxurious Labelle home.  
“Hi Mom! Hi Dad!” Iris responded cheerfully as she followed the voices. It was relatively late but Iris could smell cooking food.  
“We’re making a late-night celebration dinner since tonight is our last night together,” Iris’ mother, Mae Long, explained when Iris stepped into the warm and cleanly kitchen with a confused expression.  
“Oh, right!” Iris’ smile was a little forced. She knew her mother hadn’t been the most accepting of the idea of her baby going off to war and even though Iris did finally secure a blessing, it took a lot of time and a lot of tears and Iris didn’t exactly want to deal with either again right now.   
“Your test results are on the table!” Iris’ father, Lester Long, interrupted, hearing the break in his wife’s voice and seeing Iris’ reluctant look.  
“They are?!” Iris’ expression changed to one of pure excitement and suddenly, she was gone, sprinting from the kitchen to the table faster than the blink of an eye. Lester couldn’t mask a chuckle as he watched her go and that laugh of amusement turned to one of affection as he watched Mae frown slightly. Lester hadn’t been too happy about Iris’ choice either and, truth be told, he still wasn’t happy, but knowing that she wasn’t going alone, thanks to Clover, made him feel a bit better. He turned back to his chore of cleaning up while his wife continued to cook.

“So, which of the four war camps did you get into?” Lester asked once Iris returned to the kitchen, still skimming over the letter.  
“Camp Heath,” Iris replied without looking up, still reading the letter’s instructions about send-off day. That was tomorrow.   
“Which one is that?” Lester asked back, trading spots with his wife so she could clean and he could cook.  
“It’s the southern one. It’s the one in the foresty areas,” Iris explained. “You know, the stealth and health one?”  
“Ah! That one!” Mae and Lester both exclaimed in understanding. Life in the four war camps was not common knowledge in Denbar so that left the citizens to go by clichés, stereotypes and summaries. Although this was handy in some cases, it was very misleading in others…

Camp Heath had always been known as the “pacifist” camp just because their camp had the least average bloodshed compared to the other three camps. This was what garnered them the reputation of being full of cowards, babies and hippies. Although this was somewhat true in the sense that Camp Heath soldiers did tend to look for more peaceful solutions or go for quicker, cleaner kills, it was also very wrong because it almost implied that Camp Heath wasn’t much of a war camp at all. Not only was this inaccurate, but it was offensive. Camp Heath may have been the quietest of the four war camps, but any threat they stumbled upon was always put down with terrifying efficiency. They just didn’t believe in being showy. They preferred quick and clean kills. To suggest that they were too against violence to do their job was disrespectful and untrue.

Meanwhile, their comrades in the northern deserts were just the opposite. Camp Greene lived for the aesthetic, doing everything in the name of honor and glory and doing anything that looked cool. While Camp Heath specialized in stealth and bloodless battle, those in Camp Greene preferred more traditional, direct combat. They believed in marching and in swords. They believed in face-to-face confrontation and orders shouted by one leader standing above the others. They believed in close-range combat and fighting to the death. The especially dumb and daring ones liked melee combat with ridiculously showy armor and arms. They were almost garish because of how hard they tried to look chivalrous and noble. 

Their comrades in the western mountains, Camp Reed, were a bit better than this. True, Camp Reed had its own share of boasters, prudes and show-offs, but they weren’t nearly as flashy or arrogant. Theirs was of a different kind of snobbery. In addition, they had a bit more sense, preferring long-distance or aerial battle instead of close-combat, but that was partly because of how far away they were compared to anyone else in Denbar. All they had were long-ranged battles. It was what happened when one was stuck on a mountain top for their whole career. But at the same time, Camp Reed was far from isolated, being very active in the lives of the rest of the four war camps and Archon. After all, Camp Reed had some of the smartest and most creative folks in Denbar, of course people with that much raw ingenuity would be active in Denbarian lives. Distance meant nothing to knowledge and intelligence.

Then lastly was the unlucky Camp Steuben whose home was in the marshy east. Their camp, despite being as dark as their reputation, was quite impressive. They too had their sense of prudishness and pride, but where they differed from anyone else was their militaristic efficiency and strict discipline. They were a frank and simple camp, doing the bare minimum asked of them, but still willing to do anything to achieve their goals. But at the same time, they knew elegance, class and style. Only the sharpest belonged in that camp, and everyone worked to the bone for absolute perfection and completion in every task they did. Their leadership was impeccable and it was known across Denbar that Camp Steuben housed some of the best strategists ever. The cunning and leadership in Camp Steuben was astounding. They were the people who would kill 100 Noctifers a day on command no matter the risk and they would find a way to do it. In addition, where a Camp Greene soldier might brag about his victory or do it in a showy fashion, a Camp Steuben soldier would kill in the easiest way possible and then scavenge for useful leftovers before bragging. 

In short, Denbar’s four war camps were all incredibly diverse and wonderful and powerful in their own way, each making up a valuable part of the main army and each almost representing four important aspects of a soldier: strength, intelligence, hard work and drive. Iris had gotten into Camp Heath, the hard-working aspect.   
“What about Clover?” Mae asked once Iris finished explaining about the four war camps.  
“I haven’t had the chance to ask,” Iris replied, but the moment she said this, her phone rang. After laughing about the convenient timing of it all, Iris picked up the phone while her parents awaited the results anxiously…

“She’s coming with me!!” Iris declared triumphantly as she hung up five minutes later.  
“How wonderful!” Lester and Mae both clapped. It made them both feel a little bit better knowing that their little girl was able to keep her best friend with her and that their results hadn’t separated them. See, when one was assigned to a war camp, that basically became home. There was no re-testing unless specifically requested and even then, the old camp was still always given as first option. There was no way to just pick the army camp one wanted join. Instead, the test results were what decided and they were very carefully mulled over. 

Now, along with retakes, one could apply to be transferred out into a new camp, but it was a long, confusing, embarrassing, and highly discouraged process. Being a transfer-out almost had a stigma to it because it implied that someone felt like the test had failed and the test never failed. It was also seen as an act of cowardice, like a soldier was saying they weren’t good enough to handle what they’d gotten or were discontent with their lot and wanted something else. Most people took pride in their test results and stuck with them. Transfer-outs were notoriously rare. It was a relief for both the Eves and Longs that Iris and Clover had both gotten into the same war camp on the first try so there would be no shame of requesting for a redo, no matter how legal it was.

“Apparently, she almost got put into Camp Greene but her ultimate score left her with me!” Iris explained excitedly. “Clover told me that her Camp Greene score was pretty high and that the recruiter himself said she had the courage and drive to succeeded up there. Apparently he thinks she’s brave and protective enough and I do agree, but I’m so glad that she got a higher score in Camp Heath! I think she said it was because her sense of loyalty and compassion was stronger than her sense of justice and battle-readiness that was why she got picked for Camp Heath,” Iris continued. “So now, by luck, we’re both going to Camp Heath!”   
“That’s great, then! It all worked out perfectly!” Iris’ parents repeated once Iris finished the story.  
“It sure did!” their daughter agreed. Then a timer went off.  
“Ah! Dinner!” Mae moved over to the stove and oven and began dishing out the food while Lester helped set the table and clear away the dishes to wash later. He would wash and Mae would dry, as agreed upon because last night, Mae had washed and Lester had dried. Then, once everyone had been served, they all took their plates into the next room and ate in a happy silence. Anxiety and excitement swirled in the air but, despite these tensions, it was a pretty quiet meal, along with being quite delicious, in Iris’ mind.

A few doors down, the Eves were in a similar situation. Clover and her father, Rusty, were dining together. He actually had cried already, being more sensitive than almost anyone else in Labelle, but Clover did manage to calm him down just like always. He’d probably taken it the hardest of all when she first came to him with the desire to join the army. She understood, though, because she was all he had left. Originally, he was married to a strong and almost abrasive lady named Diane, but at one point she ended up being shot dead during a chase for one of Denbar’s most wanted criminals. See, Denbar had a nearly nonexistence crime rate, but every once in awhile, a particularly reprehensible piece of scum would emerge from the gutters and Diane ended up dying in attempt to help him be caught and returned to prison. It was a tragic moment for Rusty, but the criminal was ultimately captured and, in return, Rusty was given a large sum of money for his wife’s sacrifice. It would never bring his beloved and feisty lover back, but he understood that it was all Archon could do in terms of a return favor. Rusty then proceeded to use some of that money to move up to Labelle and he took his then five-year-old daughter with him. 

Ever since losing his wife, Rusty had been quite protective of Clover and when she came to him with the desire to join the army, he nearly had a heart attack. But after a lot of begging, bickering and bawling, even more than Iris had to put up with either of her parents combined, Rusty finally also gave his child his blessing to join the army. Now, realizing that they just 12 hours away from that moment was starting to get to him. His only consolation was that Iris was, apparently, able to stay with Clover. It was a comfort to him, knowing that his daughter was going to be protected by the girl he practically considered a second child just because of how close his real daughter was with Iris. So both houses were crackling with tension as a big change lay on the horizon, but just for that moment, everyone put those thoughts and feelings and fears aside just to spend one last night together in happiness and harmony. The four war camps could wait until dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two, still setting the stage for the main story. Iris has been accepted into the army camp known as Camp Heath. As has Clover. And tomorrow is the big day... the sendoff!


	3. Sendoff

But dawn would arrive soon enough. The very next morning, it was time to go.   
“Are you ready yet?!” Iris pleaded, standing impatiently by the door. Her parents were still scuttling around the house.   
“We’ll be there in a moment darling!” Lester answered. Iris heaved another dramatic sigh but continued to stand silently by the door. She had a feeling that the only reason her parents were being so incredibly slow this morning was because they were trying to keep her with them for as long as they could. Usual mornings were the reverse, with Iris needing several wakeup calls before actually leaving her comfy bed. The only reason there was a role reversal today was because today was the day every new recruit was going to be shipped off to the army. It was the first of September. Iris had been so keen on going that she woke up two hours early! She was willing to bet that no one was more eager to fight than she was! But finally, her parents finished the last of their rituals and off they went.

Half an hour later, the trio arrived at Denbar’s capitol, Archon. All around them were other new recruits from other states, they and their luggage waiting outside Archon’s main building, the Apex, for instructions. Even though there was an incredible amount of physical differences between the recruits, every single one of them wore a simple camouflage uniform and a little badge right over the heart that held the Denbar army symbol. The tension in the air was palpable and Iris, in a tiny uniform all her own, bounced up and down as she waited for the announcements.

During that little waiting period, Clover and Rusty finally arrived.  
“Glad you could be bothered to show up,” Iris snickered as Clover stumbled over, uniform wrinkled and orange hair still a bit messy.  
“We overslept,” Clover replied as she threw her luggage down with a groan.  
“I can see that,” Iris laughed again, looking over Clover’s shoulder to see Rusty panting as he ran after his daughter. Both of the Eves grinned sheepishly at Iris and her parents who were all wearing matching smirks.

“Good man, glad you could make it!” Lester clapped Rusty’s shoulder.  
“Thanks,” Rusty coughed slightly to catch his breath.  
“Had anything happened yet?” Clover asked Iris as she tried to fix her uniform a bit.  
“No, we were just-” Iris was cut off mid-sentence by the sound of the Apex’s grand clock chiming 8:00 a.m. The ninth chime was punctuated by the Apex’s door swinging open. It was starting!

The person who came out of the Apex was a woman. She was old, clearly, but age had taken nothing from her. Instead, she was still incredibly intimidating and she had an unmatched grace and power. She had long silver hair and very dark, very sharp blue eyes. She wore a simple but elegant black suit and tie, white cuffs peeking out from the end of the long black sleeves. She walked with a straight back and she carried herself with poise, dignity and firmness. It was Denbar’s chief, she being the fiercest leader they’d had in a long time. It made sense, though, as she had ruled since before Iris’ time. She was very commanding and authoritative not just because it was in her personality, but because she was used to this job. She was used to being in charge and she knew how to run the country. She was like a tiger, beautiful but dangerous and bold, especially when in her own territory with others coming into her claws.

Her speech was short, sweet, and to the point, acting as a perfect balance of encouragement and gratitude while also being honest about the trials of war and being informative as to what one needed to do to survive from that point on. Once her speech ended, she gave a tiny bow of the head before leaving the rest of the proceedings up to her Council of 12. A respectful round of applause followed Chief’s speech. She wasn’t the type of woman to warrant hooting and hollering following speeches, no matter how rousing they were. Instead, even the most hotheaded and passionate become somber and serious when she was near. It was just the stern and professional vibes she gave off. They were infectious.

The moment she was gone, though, relaxation rippled through the crowd and a dull whisper started again. The Council of 12, however, quickly put an end to it, though not a single one of them was anywhere near as intimidating or experienced as their leader. But once they did manage to hush the awaiting recruits, they issued the orders as to how the sendoff would go. There was a giant subway track under Denbar and it connected the four war camps together so that soldier transfer could occur swiftly and secretly. That subway created a “cross in a circle” pattern and had four tracks, one to each camp. It was an incredibly complex system built in the first Noctifer war 200 years ago, but it had been updated as the years passed. The reason it was built then was because, when that first Noctifer war occurred, Denbar wasn’t as technologically astounding as they were today and the subway was just a way for soldiers to move around quickly and quietly. It became the army’s main method of transport and had remained as such ever since. Now it was going into use again, every recruit about to board one of the four tracks to their new home. 

“So, are you girls ready?” Lester asked Iris and Clover as the first camp was called up to go. They were going alphabetically, so Camp Greene was going first. About a quarter of the recruits walked to a staircase just outside of the Apex and descended the stairs.   
“Yeah,” they replied in unison as some of the recruits pushed by and walked towards the underground subway.  
“Oh, do be careful!” Mae sighed fretfully, trying not to cry as her baby (18 years old or not, Iris was still her baby) got ready to go.  
“Don’t worry Ma!” Iris attempted to cheer Mae up. “I can look after myself and I will have Clover with me.”  
“That may be true,” Mae allowed. She didn’t need to go on for Iris to understand. Iris looked at her sympathetically before hugging her and then reaching out to her father, pulling him in as well so that all three of them were in one embrace. 

Iris had to admit that as much as she wanted to be free and grow up, she would miss her parents dearly. They had always been so good to her and she knew full well how much they loved her and how much sacrifice and effort they had given to her during the 18 years they tried to raise her as best they could. It was a debt Iris would never be able to repay and she loved them even more for it. Saying goodbye really hurt. They were great parents, honestly. There was even a tiny part of Iris that suddenly didn’t want to join the army after all. It was the side of her that appreciated just how much her parents loved her. It was the side of her that wanted to stay young and innocent, safe and cared for, forever. It was the side of her that wanted life simply to be her and her parents and nothing else. But she knew that such dreams were only that. She couldn’t stay under her parents’ wings forever. Eventually, she would have to find her own and fly…

At the same time, Rusty was busy giving Clover her own goodbye. Unlike Lester and Mae, he was making no attempt to hide the tears.  
“Oh! Be careful Clover! Stay as safe as you can! I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you! And please be sure to call everyday!!!” he sobbed. The tears had been threatening to spill all morning but now, at the moment of the sendoff, they were finally all coming out in tidal waves.  
“Ok, Dad, ok!” Clover cried. Rusty was very thin and lanky, like Clover, but he was hugging Clover with the strength of 10 men. “I can’t breathe!”  
“Sorry, darling!” Rusty muttered, finally letting go. Clover gulped in the air, at the same time trying to reassure him that she’d be ok, but Rusty was still incredibly clingy. Clover wasn’t sure if she was touched or embarrassed by this dramatic and overprotective farewell. She really did love her father and he was a great man and the protectiveness made her feel safe and loved, but the clinginess did get to be a bit… much. But Clover knew it was because she really was all he had in this world. Losing his beloved wife and then having to raise Clover alone for 13 years only for her to leave him now and possibly never come back hadn’t been easy, but he had done a darn good job of supporting her through it all and Clover was eternally grateful for it. He had done an amazing job as a single parent, Clover wouldn’t deny it. At the same time, though, she needed her own life too. It was time for her to go. It was time for all of them.

“Camp Heath, up next!!!” one of the council members boomed. The sendoff for Iris and Clover had officially begun.  
“I guess this is it!” Iris said, nearly bursting with nerves as she and Clover finally stepped out of their parents’ arms and joined their future comrades as they all walked with one accord to that staircase that would lead them to their future.  
“I guess this is it,” Clover echoed firmly, a proud smile on her face as she and Iris finally made it onto the subway cart itself, getting a double-seat near the front. She hoped that her mother, wherever she was, would be proud of her.  
“I guess this is it,” Rusty sighed, still sniffling as he continued to stare after his daughter even though she was already underground.  
“I guess this is it,” Lester agreed, patting Rusty’s back and letting him rest his head on his shoulder.  
“I guess this is it,” Mae grinned nervously, grief and excitement combining in her heart as her children left their nest.  
“I guess this is it…”

Just 20 minutes later, the rest of the sendoff was finished and the last recruit had been successfully loaded onto the army’s subway carts. The only people who now remained in Archon, standing before the Apex, were the family members being left behind. It was a proud and sad moment for everyone and even after the recruits were long gone, zooming away at 100 mph to their destinies, their families stayed behind to give one last farewell to the staircase their kin had descended. Then, in time, they too returned home and Archon fell still and silent once more. The sendoff was complete and it had been another success. In about 30 days, another one would be held and Denbar would continue to support its army with all of the willing recruits who came their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iris is off to Camp Heath, Clover ever at her side! But with all this hype, what is the camp actually like? And what are the soldiers inside like? Well, read to find out!


	4. Welcome to Camp Heath

While family members headed home, spreading back out across the country, their kin whispered eagerly to each other as they rode in their respective subway carts, each one needing about one and a half hours to get to its destination. See, Denbar was roughly in the shape of a square with each camp at one of the four corners of the country, creating a diamond shape. Since Archon was at the very center of Denbar, that meant it was about the same distance from all four war camps and every cart needed about one and a half hours to arrive. During that time, introductions and friends were made while chatter about what the future would hold commenced.

“What do you think it will be like?” Iris asked Clover as they rested against each other’s shoulders.  
“I don’t know,” the ginger replied honestly. “I imagine that it’s going to be incredibly grueling, but I think I can survive.”  
“You’d better,” Iris joked. “Because if you die on me, I’ll kill you.”  
“Well, you’d have to bring me back, first of all,” Clover teased.  
“Don’t worry, I’d find a way,” Iris promised and Clover pretended to look horrified.  
“You mean I won’t even be able to escape you via dying?” she asked and Iris smacked her arm playfully.

Such idle and happy chatter echoed the subway cart until everyone noticed a drop in speed.  
“We must be there!!” somebody towards the back of the cart cried and everyone else fell silent, agreeing with the recruit in the back. Suddenly, nerves replaced excitement and bravery. As bold as they might’ve liked to be, not a single person on that cart truly knew what to expect and fear was starting to fill the air as the cart slowed to a halt. The door opened and, after a few moments of staring awkwardly at one another, somebody finally took the lead and took the first step out of the subway cart. The others followed shyly behind. In single file, the recruits climbed up the staircase from the subway back to the surface world and where they ended up sticking their heads almost looked like the middle of nowhere.  
“You mean they built this opening right here in the middle of nowhere?” someone asked skeptically as everyone else filed out of the stairwell and back onto earthy ground. Admittedly, it was not the best of setups because there was no defining markings or buildings to tell them exactly where they were or what they needed to do.

“Your darn right they did!” a voice cried out to the group of recruits. All of them jumped in surprise, heads turning in all directions as each person tried to be the first to figure out where the voice was coming from. They heard the voice laugh, clearly amused by their confusion and shock. “Up here!” the voice hinted and every head turned towards the trees. As dozens of eyes skimmed the trees, leaves the color of fire, a massive figure jumped from one of the trees and landed with an incredibly loud thud at the front of the group. Everyone let out a gasp of surprise. This was for several reasons. The first was this man choosing to hide from them and make a dramatic entrance from the trees. The second was his sheer size. He honestly looked like a bear, incredibly tall and wide with a wild mane of brown hair that got tangled with his equally long and bushy brown beard. The third reason was from everyone wondering how on earth such a big man had managed to get into the tree in the first place and how his jump hadn’t broken anything. Seriously, that thud when he landed in front of them had made the ground rumble a bit. 

“Are you our tour guide?” someone finally asked to break the silence as everyone else continued to stare up at the bear-man.   
“Aye!” he replied. “And I will also be your leader!” he added, part of his massive beard shifting as he grinned down at them all.  
“You’re Captain! Leader of Camp Heath!” Iris murmured as he said this. She thought she knew his face from somewhere, but it just didn’t register for the longest time because of how different he looked here as opposed to the army informational site. On the site, his wild hair and beard had been somewhat tamed and he had worn a relatively handsome uniform. Now, the man who stood before them today, was far ruddier than that deceptive online photo. The man before them looked more fat than muscled and his hair was nothing short of chaos and he wore an old red coat. It was evident that, once upon a time, that coat might’ve been incredibly fine and fancy, but years of wear and tear had dulled its color and frayed at its edges, some of the fancier patterns and buttons of the coat long-since fallen away. 

But despite his much rougher appearance here as opposed to his official web photo, there was something almost handsome and charming about him now that was lacking in the online version of him. Perhaps it was how he looked more natural with wild hair and a dirty face. The only bits of skin visible on him were his hands and a strip of skin around his eyes. It was the one place his hair didn’t touch. The skin looked like it might’ve been a creamy color had it not also been lined with dirt. Perhaps it was because, despite being less clean here, he was more honest. It was evident, even in the online photo, that the picture had only been a photo op and was not an accurate representation of the real man. This ruddy bear-man standing in front of them with a smile as big as his stomach. He really was a very good-looking man despite his rough-around-the-edges appearance and elegance and class were still in the aura he gave off even though it was hidden under a boyish playfulness. 

“Aye!” he repeated, clearly pleased at being recognized by a new recruit. “Now if you will follow me, I will show you around!” he insisted, waving a giant arm behind him. The other recruits followed him in awed obedience as he led them from that little subway opening over to a very big and very sturdy wooden archway several yards away. Ah! So there had been a defining marking by the subway exit! They just hadn’t seen it because as big as the entry arch was, it kind of blended in with all the other trees around the camp. They had missed it in their earlier confusion. Captain stretched out his arm once more, gesturing to what lay inside the archway and then he spoke four words more:  
“Welcome to Camp Heath!”

The rest of the day was spent touring Camp Heath and learning about its physical layout and its routine and hierarchical structure. The camp itself highly resembled a summer camp. It was nothing but a bunch of cabins surrounded by a lot of trees. By entering the archway, the recruits were facing south. Dead ahead was nothing but forest that led to an endless expanse of water. The sea. Nobody had ever found anything out there, even though scores of people had gone exploring it over the centuries. Rumor said that other landmasses had existed out there once upon a time, but following some devastating war hundreds of years ago, even before the first Noctifer War, that had all changed and the tiny hunk of rock named Denbar was all that was left in that expanse of endless water.

But in the other three directions, there was more than enough to see. To the right was a cluster of particularly large cabins.  
“Those are our ‘public’ spaces,” Captain explained. “They’re things like the armory, dining hall, rest areas, etc. You know, they’re where the entire camp may gather at a given time,” he finished. Then the group turned to the left. The first building they saw was another large one. It was the hospital building. Then, to the left of that, was a cluster of smaller buildings.  
“Sleeping quarters?” Clover guessed.  
“Correct,” Captain nodded. “We’re headed there right now so you all can set your luggage down,” he added and the recruits all made noises of surprise. Even though some bags looked impossibly heavy, the absolute awe at being here had made them all totally forget that they had burdens to carry. Once Captain reminded them, though, it didn’t take more than half a minute to reach the cabins. 

The sleeping cabins were actually pretty liberal when it came to bed assignments. Anyone could sleep anywhere so long as it was agreed upon. The only real division was based on rank. There were some apprentice cabins, some soldier cabins, and some elite cabins (the elite were just more experienced/older soldiers). As for the leader and his deputy? Well, their beds were in the leader’s office back where the dining hall and other public buildings were located. But aside from that, any age or gender or orientation was allowed to sleep wherever. One could have an intersex person sleeping beside a female person sleeping beside a transperson sleeping beside an agender person sleeping beside a male person sleeping beside a gender fluid person and it would be totally fine. 

And these people, especially in the soldier or elite cabins, could range anywhere from 18 to 75 (75 being the higher end of when someone might finally retire from the army). But again, typically, the elite cabin held the older soldiers while the regular soldier cabin held the youngsters. It wasn’t because of any strict set of rules, it just allowed for soldiers with more in common to bunk closer together. For example, an 18 year old soldier may not relate as easily to a 58 year soldier as they would to a fellow 18 year old soldier and the 58 year old soldier might prefer to bunk around people their age just because younger soldiers did tend to be more rowdy than older ones. 

Aside from the formal division by ranking and the informal division by age, however, bunking was very open. Of course, there was the typical warning about curfew and how soldiers did need to sleep and just because bedding was open-ended, that didn’t mean activity within the beds was, but aside from that, everything else was self-explanatory. Iris, naturally, chose a bed right beside Clover’s and the beds they ended up picking were more towards the center of the cabin and were pressed against the right wall, windows facing the dining hall area.

Once beds were claimed and luggage was set down, however, the tour continued.  
“On we go!” Captain declared once the last recruit exited the cabin, then he led them further east to the training forests. All it was, for as far as the eye could see, was woodland. It was the main base of operation for Camp Heath, along with being the largest section of it. According to Captain, it was where a majority of training and combat occurred. It was the heart of camp even though it wasn’t the center. It was where all the real action happened. As the group of new recruits traveled through the sprawling forest, fire colored leaves overhead on twisting branches, they ended up seeing several other soldiers and their apprentices training. 

“Wow,” Iris breathed. One particular mentor-apprentice duo was practicing sword fighting while also hopping gracefully from tree branch to tree branch. Not only did it look physically difficult, but it also looked mentally difficult, having to keep up both with an active opponent and the branches below. All the other recruits watched the duo weave in and out of the leaves, swords dancing just as swiftly. It really was amazing.  
“I can hardly believe that’ll be us one day!” Clover agreed with Iris’ hushed whisper and Iris nodded back, still just gaping up at the training pair. 

Several other impressive sights lent themselves to the touring recruits and all through the long walk through the massive forest. They were passing trees and boulders and streams and rivers and soldiers could be seen performing all kinds of amazing and daring stunts while practicing vicious combat with an array of weapons. At last, the group ran into a large cluster of apprentices taking lessons from a very imposing looking man. Even from afar, an authoritative aura radiated off of him and every apprentice struggled to do exactly as he said in order to please him. Iris could already see from the look in his black eyes, that it took an awful lot to make this man smile. When the man saw Captain, however, something akin to politeness crept upon his face and the scowl he’d been using to intimidate his pupils faded away.

“Hello, Captain!” he said, stepping down from the rock on which he stood. He approached his leader with confident step. As he came near, Iris could see, from his rolled up sleeves and his shorts, that he was pure muscle. He was also entirely bald and his skin was as dark as his eyes.   
“Maxim Roths!” Captain greeted the man with a quick kiss that he returned willingly. Iris did note though, with amusement, that even during the kiss, the man still did not smile, but she saw enough of a facial shift to know that seeing Captain had just made this man’s day way better. “I’m glad you’ve finally returned from your mission!” Captain said.  
“As am I,” Maxim agreed, pulling away from Captain but still holding his hands. “Apparently, Noctifer sightings are decreasing. We aren’t sure what it means, but we just may be in for a lucky break,” he said, expression severe as he said this.  
“Ah! Excellent!” Captain nodded, mane of hair shaking as he did so. It was funny how very different he looked from his husband, he being round and hairy and pale-skinned while his husband was muscular, bald, and dark-skinned. And while Captain’s voice was loud and his face was happy and ruddy, Maxim’s voice was soft and commanding and his face was equally stony and it was clean as a whistle. They were so different!!

“A break will give us enough time to, hopefully, get through these new recruits!” Captain continued happily.   
“But we don’t know how long the hiatus will last,” Maxim warned. “And I can guarantee that the Noctifers won’t be resting either.”  
“Perhaps not,” Captain agreed. “But we’ll do the best we can with what we have. Now, I’d quite like you to meet our fresh blood!” he said, finally letting go of Maxim’s hands and gesturing to the recruits behind him.

“Greetings,” Maxim nodded to them all firmly. Some of the braver ones nodded back while the others were unsure of how to respond to such a seemingly unapproachable soldier. Captain only threw a chummy arm around Maxim in order to lighten the mood.  
“Care to give them any words of wisdom?” he asked.  
“Sure,” Maxim said. Then his dark eyes narrowed. “Know that even though you may not see any Noctifers right away, they are still very much a threat and I expect you all to give your best effort in learning how to fight them or the consequences will be dire. Am I clear?” he growled.  
“Yes sir!” the recruits replied, all of them stiff as boards as they saluted.  
“Good,” Maxim’s eyes got even narrower.  
“Don’t scare them too soon!” Captain chided, his warm voice canceling out his husband’s icy one.  
“I’m just being rational,” Maxim replied casually. Captain only rolled his eyes again. Maxim really did need to learn to loosen up…

“Anyway, are you continuing with your tour?” Maxim asked Captain once his little speech was over.  
“Yes I am,” Captain replied.  
“Then I shall see you at dinner, yes?” Maxim asked.   
“Of course,” Captain replied with a fond smile, then he walked away, leading the recruits deeper into the training forest.

“How on earth did you end up marrying him?” one of the recruits dared to ask the moment they were out of earshot.  
“Love is a very strange, inexplicable and wonderful thing,” Captain replied, but he said no more and nobody asked anything else regarding his marriage to the cold and callous Maxim Roths. It was then that some of them thanked their lucky stars that Maxim was only camp deputy. That still gave him a lot of power over every aspect of Camp Heath, but at least he was not leader. Captain seemed like a much safer and friendlier bet. Captain seemed to sense these thoughts that the recruits were having and he chuckled lowly as he led them further away from Maxim, who had since gone back to drilling his group of cowering apprentices. They weren’t happy to see Captain go and leave them alone again with Maxim.

The recruits continued to the very edge of Camp Heath, stopping halfway beside a river to eat just because of how long the walk was. Along the way, as before, they continued to trudge through woodland and see all of the scenery associated with such natural beauty, and they also ran into several other soldiers and apprentices all of varying types and histories, each of them doing something different. Some were practicing, some were fighting, some were hunting, some were climbing, some were swimming, some were fixing up arms and armor. But no matter how diverse the people were, every single one of them would always stop and take a moment to greet Captain with a friendly and respectful bow. It seemed that, as jolly and jovial as he was, Captain was the kind of person who just demanded respect, even if unintentionally. 

After the lunch break, the group carried on, but stopped after another long bout of walking.  
“Our territory does technically fan out all the way on either side to our neighboring war camps of Reed and Steuben, but I’m not going to make any of you walk any farther because now we have to walk all the way back,” he said as he stopped the group.  
“Awww, man!” a collective groan rose up from the weary recruits and Captain only laughed, beard trembling as his lips twitched.  
“Come on now, this is only day one! It won’t get much easier from here!” he reminded them, then he led them all back the way they came.

Several hours later, they had returned to the heart of camp and were standing right where they had started hours and hours ago.  
“So, you’ve seen the north side of camp, the entry and the subway. You’ve seen the south side, the forest that leads to the sea. You’ve seen the west side, all of the public facilities. You’ve seen the east side, all of the training forest. I think that’s everything,” he was half talking to himself now.  
“So do we get dinner next?” someone asked hopefully, earning a laugh from everyone else including Captain.  
“In time,” he promised. “For now, you can just relax or continue exploring. I will see you at the dining hall about two hours,” he finished, then he bade the new recruits farewell and, despite their exhaustion, they managed to return the farewell with equal cheer. Captain was just too friendly and happy to get mad at. Honestly, most of them, Iris and Clover included, had expected to face some kind of drill sergeant like Maxim, but Captain was totally different and it was a welcome difference to be sure.  
“Bye!” some of the recruits called as Captain left them to their own devices. Right before he was totally gone, however, he said four words more:   
“Welcome to Camp Heath!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the grand tour of the setting for the next Denbar-knows-how-many chapters! Hope it seemed descriptive enough and not too vague or impossible. But please stick around, the meat of the story is still yet to come! (And by that, I mean that we're about to meet our deutoragonist: Storm).
> 
> PS: I did intend for this to be very heavy on queer characters. As of right now, Captain and Maxim are the only two I've spoken of outright. I promise there will be more, but this is a slow-burning story. As much as I wanted to have more LGBT representation in literature, I believe that story comes first and I won't just shove an LGBT character in unless I can give him/her/them proper characterization, but characterization takes time. If you want more LGBT, you'll have to keep reading.  
> (Also, to those curious, I consider myself a cis-female pansexual).


	5. Mentor

Iris, Clover, and all the other recruits proceeded to spend the next two hours at their leisure, some continuing to explore the camp while others raced off to specific places they wanted to revisit, like the seaside, while others chose simply to stay in the apprentice cabins and rest. Iris and Clover were among that last group, pushing their beds together and simply lying side by side to chat.  
“This is a pretty impressive place,” Clover said as she and Iris reclined on their beds.  
“Isn’t it?” Iris agreed. “It’s just so…big… and full! There’s so much to do and see everywhere!”  
“And Captain was so friendly,” Clover added. “I never imagined someone as nice as him running a place like this!”  
“He was pretty great,” Iris agreed again. “I can’t believe this is our new home! I’m honestly kind of star struck!” she confessed.  
“You don’t say,” Clover teased, Iris’ interest in the soldier life being very far from new or secret. Iris elbowed Clover back with a laugh.

Following two hours of downtime, though, a sudden increase in noise from outside alerted the recruits for dinner. They all left the cabin, chattering eagerly, as they got a better headcount of how many comrades they had. Soldiers and apprentices alike popped up from every corner of camp and to watch them all come together as one, headed for the dining hall, was kind of cool, along with being almost intimidating.  
“I didn’t realize how many of us there were!” Iris breathed. Seeing everyone scattered about the training forest earlier had made the camp seem relatively low in numbers, but seeing everyone all together like this was something else. It was especially surprising to think that this was considered low by Denbar. All of these soldiers and apprentices flocking towards the dining hall at the moment were still considered a small number when compared to the average headcount of Camp Heath soldiers.   
“I hope we all fit,” Clover remarked as she and Iris squeezed past the wooden doors of the dining hall, lost in a tide of other soldiers. 

In the end, room was hardly an issue. The dining hall was one of those “looks smaller on the outside” type buildings. The front of the dining hall was relatively small, but the inside was massive and seeing it gave Iris an idea of just what she was dealing with now.   
“How many people do you think would fit if this were filled?” she asked Clover. Clover looked around the massive hall thoughtfully.  
“I’d say maybe 500,” she replied at last. “And I’d say there’s about 200 of us now,” she added. Iris nodded mutely. So yeah, they technically were low on soldiers, but 200 still wasn’t that bad for one camp. This dining hall was enormous! 

Iris and Clover fought against a sea of people in order to find themselves a place to sit. As with the cabins, there were no rules to eating arrangements, but natural rules had since sprung up anyway. Already, it was clear to see which tables belonged to which rank of soldier. Iris and Clover joined the other recruits/apprentices at the far left closer to the doors. Captain and Maxim, meanwhile, sat at one long table at the head of the dining hall, directly facing the doors. It was the closest thing to an obviously off-limits table that the dining hall had. Everything else, though, was fair game and even though the back left was predominately apprentices, that was not a concrete rule. Instead, especially for those with older relatives who were already soldiers, apprentices could be seen scattered all around the large room. But in time, none of those demographics mattered to anyone because when the food was served, everyone dug in and enjoyed every last delicious morsel.

Once dinner was over, there was a bit more orientation and exploring. After that, lights went out at 11:00. All in all, it was a wonderful first day and as Iris curled up under her new bed sheets, all she could do was smile. Just mere inches away, Clover was in a similar position, smiling even long after she and Iris had both drifted off to sleep. 

The next day brought more change to all the recruits. This second day of army life would be the day they got their mentors and became full apprentices. It was an unimportant specificity, but to those more picky and detailed about the small things, a person who had sworn to join the army was a recruit and they would not become a full apprentice until they got their mentor. To others, however, one became an apprentice the moment they were officially assigned an army camp because one could argue that a person learned about army life from the very camp itself and, in that regard, the camp as a whole became a mentor. But either way, seeing the sun rise for a second time on Camp Heath meant that all the recruits would become apprentices today, undisputedly. 

More excited chatter filled the air as all the new recruits rushed around anxiously. It might’ve been 7:00 am, but everyone was wide awake. They were all wondering who they might end up with and who all was even mentoring in the first place because it wasn’t a job just assigned to any random soldier. There were certain requirements that had to be met and those requirements weren’t always visible, like the requirement stating that one needed to have served a year already and taken a short mentoring course. True, some soldiers looked more ready than others, but it wasn’t always an obvious thing. And sometimes, even soldiers who could qualify would not teach simply because they had no desire to train an apprentice and that was totally fine. In addition, the whispers and threats and hints from other already mentored apprentices weren’t helping. The older apprentices would try and either scare or impress the newer ones with lies about who all was in the mentoring pool and how a mentor was chosen and what the odds were one of them would end up with a particular soldier. It was all a bunch of hooey, but a few newbies, including Clover, did believe some of it.

“Did you hear that one girl? She’s one of the oldest in our cabin,” Clover whispered nervously to Iris. “She said we might have to do some kind of public demonstration before we get our mentors! It’ll be like the physical test back in Labelle!”  
“Oh, I don’t believe that,” Iris grunted. “I think she was just trying to scare you.” Clover still looked somewhat uncertain as they made their way to the dining hall for breakfast, but she ceased her worries enough to genuinely enjoy breakfast.

“Alright, recruits!” Captain cried out towards the end of breakfast, loud voice silencing the whole room at once. “As you all know, this morning, you will be getting your mentors!” he paused to gesture to Maxim. Maxim handed him a list. “Now is that time and I will read off the names of apprentice and mentor and both of you shall stand just so you can get a clear view of who you will be working beside for the next six months!” he explained, then he cleared his throat and began to read. The whole dining hall fell silent in anticipation and Iris felt Clover squeeze her hand under the table. Even if getting a mentor was as simple as waiting for two names to be called, it was still a stressful moment.

Awhile later, everyone had been assigned a mentor. Or at least, everyone except Iris.  
“Wait a sec,” Clover cried. “Captain never gave you a mentor!” and she was right. Iris had waited to hear her name get called but when Captain rolled up his list, leaving her mentorless, she began to worry. Had something gone wrong? What could she possibly have already messed up?  
“I don’t know why,” Iris replied, sounding afraid for the first time in a long time.  
“Should we ask?” Clover asked, willing to stay with Iris even if she was supposed to head out to training with her new mentor.  
“No, no, you probably should go join your mentor,” Iris muttered. Clover could see her starting to twitch, a clear sign of fear.  
“Are you sure?” she asked, trying to calm Iris down by touching her shoulder.  
“Yeah,” Iris promised, sounding anything but sure. Clover, however, had no choice but to take Iris’ word, however blatantly untrue it was, and leave. She managed to throw one last helpless look back at Iris before leaving the dining hall with all the other mentor-apprentice pairs.

Iris turned back to face Captain, the only person still in the entire room. The butterflies in her stomach felt more like wasps now.  
“Don’t worry,” Captain began, answering Iris’ unasked question and instantly turning the wasps back into butterflies. “I assure you that while you think there was some mistake, you do indeed have a mentor. She just didn’t bother to show up,” the man paused to scowl as he said this, but Iris rested a hand over her heart in relief. So there wasn’t a mistake! She did belong here! She was in the list! It was all just her mentor’s fault. 

In the back of her mind, Iris was a little worried, hurt and indignant that her own mentor couldn’t bother to show up to her mentorship ceremony, but at the same time, Iris was too relieved to hear that this was not her fault to care. Instead, she swallowed the last of her embarrassment and nodded in relief.  
“It’s ok,” she promised, voice echoing the now-empty room. “I was just wondering.”  
“Don’t be,” Captain reassured her again. “Your mentor is entirely to blame and I intend to take you to her right now and set her right! I just didn’t want to announce that publically,” he explained, referring as to why he left Iris hanging until everyone else had cleared out of the hall.  
“I understand, sir,” Iris nodded, and she did.  
“Good,” Captain replied. “Then let us away,” he stood from his seat at the head of the room and walked down towards Iris who met him at the dining hall doors. They exited the hall together and trekked across Camp Heath through the cool autumn morning.

After awhile, however, Iris grew concerned again. There was still no sign of anyone and they had been walking for awhile now.  
“Where exactly are we going?” she asked. “Where is she? We’ve already passed the soldier cabins!” she pointed behind them.  
“Your mentor likes her privacy,” Captain began. “I know you’re probably thinking she just overslept, but I’m pretty sure she just couldn’t be bothered to show up to the ceremony,” once again, the giant man paused to scowl and Iris was left to wonder why on earth such a seemingly troublesome woman was mentoring at all. And it was just bad luck that she was to be Iris’ mentor! “But she actually doesn’t even stay with the other soldiers,” the leader of Camp Heath continued.  
“Why not?” Iris asked, alarmed. This lady was sounding stranger and more dangerous with every word Captain was saying.  
“She likes her privacy,” the man repeated with a shrug. “She built herself her own private cabin on the edge of the training forest and since there is no law against doing such a thing, I let her do it,” he added. Iris’ purple eyes narrowed as she took in everything Captain was saying. Man, her mentor sounded weird and creepy! But if Captain trusted her…

“Don’t worry,” Captain promised the tiny brunette. “If she ever gives you any trouble, just come to me.”  
“But sir, it sounds like she doesn’t even really want to be a mentor,” Iris finally dared to speak her mind. “Why not just find me someone else?”  
“Ah, you’re right that she isn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of being a mentor, but I really do think she needs to have an apprentice. It would do her some good,” Captain explained. “That’s why you’re being her apprentice.”  
“Why did you choose me, though?” Iris pressed.  
“I don’t know. You just seemed like a good match for her. Your test info, both in terms of score and personality, seemed like something she could use,” the man trailed off to finally look the far smaller girl in the eyes but the moment brown met purple, the brown widened. Iris inwardly cringed as she knew exactly what was coming…

“Why are your eyes purple?!” there it was. Iris was somewhat surprised it had taken this long for him to say anything about it at all, but at the same time, it made sense. This was the first time they’d been alone together and now, being mere inches apart, this was bound to happen.  
“I was born this way,” she replied, outwardly calm but inwardly annoyed, just like always. Captain heard the inner anger in her voice and became embarrassed quickly, bowing politely to her and apologizing. 

As he continued to stutter out how improper it had been for him to be so brash, Iris felt her glare soften. Captain really did remind her of a child. He was just so well-meant but he often would say or do rather childish things. Besides, it wasn’t like he was the only one to ask Iris about her eyes. So she forgave him quickly.  
“It’s ok,” she assured him. “I’m used to it.”  
“They are very pretty,” Captain tried to promise.  
“Thanks,” she replied, smirking just a little at his feeble attempts at placating her. 

After that, the pair continued to walk in silence until they reached the edge of the training forest. There, sure enough, stood a tiny wooden cabin. How Iris and the others had missed that place on yesterday’s tour was beyond her, but missed it they had because Iris was sure this was the first time she’d ever seen the little wooden hut. She and Captain approached the cabin together, but once on the doorstep, Captain stopped her.  
“I’d, uhhh, better go in first,” he said. “But I’ll call you as soon as we’re ready and I promise she’ll be on her best behavior!” he added.  
“Of course,” Iris replied easily, but once again, she felt a kind of chill run down her spine. Whoever this strange mentor lady was, she didn’t seem any kinder than Maxim Roths and as much as it had been Iris’ dream to be a soldier, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to put up with a Maxim Roths type mentor. But with no other choice in the matter, she stepped back as Captain entered the cabin boldly, shutting the tiny door behind him and leaving Iris to sit alone on the doorstep and wait. Day two was really shaping up to be quite interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We draw ever-closer to Iris meeting her mentor, someone made specifically to become a teacher, ally, and lifelong friend and companion. But who is this mysterious woman who seems so against human contact? Well...


	6. Rocky Start

"Morning, Storm!" a muscled young man with dark hair and eyes waltzed into Storm's private cabin. Had he been anybody else, Storm would've gone off at the unwanted intrusion. But this here was Gale Weathers, her brother from another mother, as he said. He was one of the very few people she actually liked so he was able to just intrude into her cabin without repercussions, but she still wasn't in a good mood right now, being cursed with so much paperwork so early.

"Hi Gale," she echoed tiredly as he lumbered over with his trademark goofy grin on.

"How's life treating you?" Gale asked, used to Storm's less-than-warm welcomes.

"Like dirt!" snorted Storm, throwing her pen on her mountain of paperwork. "I haven't slept for days and I'm still swamped!"

"Glad to see you're in a better mood," chortled Gale. "Want a pastry? You missed breakfast, but I still got you something."

"Thanks," she said gratefully, biting into a buttery bagel. "Why don't you take a seat?"

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry. Captain wants me on border patrol," said Gale, lowering his voice. "Top secret. I might not live to see the daylight ever again!"

"Don't be so dramatic," Storm rolled her eyes. "You know we haven't seen many Noctifers of late!"

"But they could still be out there," Gale pointed out. "And if they are out there, I'll bring back some heads as souvenirs!" he teased.

"Lucky jerk," Storm replied. Gale gave a laugh before bidding farewell to his hotheaded friend and leaving her cabin once more.

Storm turned away from the door with a smirk as it clicked shut, but her smirk quickly became a frown when she saw her reflection in the dirty mirror on her desk. Her gold hair was limp, her stormy blue eyes were puffy and her face was dirty and littered with unsightly scars and wrinkles. So much for her resolution to take better care of herself. She turned back to the papers on her tiny old desk and frowned again. So much paperwork. So, so much paperwork... But it had to be done! So, with a sigh, the stoic blond dove back into her burden once more, cursing her luck to be stuck with so much work so early. Besides, she was a soldier, not a secretary!

"Storm! There you are!" Storm looked up in annoyance as yet another intruder waltzed into her cabin. Storm's cabin was small, hidden and isolated. She thought such signs would make it obvious that she didn't want people visiting. Apparently not... But this was another face Storm couldn't get mad at. It was her leader, Captain. He, like Gale, was one of the few people Storm wouldn't sucker punch when she got mad.

"Morning, Captain," she said as he tromped on in, bushy brown beard seeming even wilder today.

"It's a fine morning indeed!" he guffawed, brown eyes twinkling. "I have some splendid news for you!"

"Oh?" asked Storm, privately wondering what new chore she was stuck with now. As much as she revered her leader, she did sometimes wish he'd just leave her alone and not constantly try to drag her into a social life.

"Oh yes, you've hit the jackpot!" Captain said cheerfully. "You're about to get your new apprentice!"

"What? But, sir! We talked about this! I don't want-" Storm protested, but before she could finish, Captain interrupted.

"I know! But I don't care. We talked about this. You need an apprentice. You need somebody who'll make you smile for once!" he said.

"I do smile!" Storm protested, scowling horribly.

"Yeah, like, once a month," Captain huffed back, unbothered by her defiant and hotheaded mood, but Storm continued to frown.

"We talked about this," he repeated, voice softer and more pleading. "You really do need somebody in your life, Storm, aside from Gale and Tempest. All this isolation isn't healthy. It's been a decade since you first joined this camp and I'm sure you still hate most of the people here!"

"You've got that right," Storm snorted.

"Storm," Captain pleaded again.

"No," Storm answered shortly, crossing her arms. "I don't want an apprentice and I don't need one either, no matter what you or anyone else thinks about my social health!" she insisted. Captain made no more attempts at verbally replying, but the way his chocolate brown eyes stared at her with such sadness made her stomach churn in guilt. She turned away from him uncomfortably. She knew he meant well and she felt bad about making him unhappy. He was, after all, just like a father to her and he was probably the last person who deserved her wrath. She heaved a conflicted sigh, torn between the desire to please her leader and her own desire to stay alone. Captain gave a mirroring sigh before turning towards Storm's cabin door. Then he called out eight words that would change her life forever.

"Iris Long! Your mentor will see you now!"

Storm had been averse to the idea of mentorship for years, thinking that such a social and nurturing role wasn't one she could fill. She was too stoic and harsh for that. Already, six other soldiers had been through Storm's teaching and not a single one of them finished the required six months under her guidance. She brought up that fact with Captain during the heated debates between them regarding Storm becoming a mentor. For the longest time, such points usually won, but it seemed that Captain was finally putting his foot down and Storm's protestations no longer worked. He was ready to force apprentice seven down her throat whether she liked it or not. But for all her dislike about the idea of mentorship, Storm couldn't deny a sense of curiosity as to who her knew charge would be and after Captain uttered those fateful eight words, Storm caught herself leaning in her chair to see who was about to enter her cabin.

What she got was not what she expected. True, Storm didn't know what she expected, but it certainly wasn't a tiny brunette with purple (yes, purple) eyes who looked like she'd never even see a weapon before in her life! This had to be a joke! This girl was just so tiny and she radiated the kind of innocence and ignorance of someone who didn't understand the cruelties of life. This couldn't be real!

"Hello!" piped the brunette, offering to shake hands as she entered the mysterious cabin. "Pleased to make your acquaintance," she said. Storm gaped rather indecently at Iris' little hand, skin smooth and unblemished by time and suffering. Iris continued to stare up at her with awed, purple, eyes. She could tell, from looks alone, that this woman standing before her was a woman of power and strength. She was exactly the kind of person Iris imagined when someone said "soldier".

Storm, a bit annoyed by Iris' childish glance, turned back to Captain with an incredulous look.

"That's right!" said Captain, clearly pleased with himself. "Iris Long passed her test with an amazing score. I know you'll do well with her!"

"I'm honored, Captain," Storm glared subtly at him over Iris' head. "But I'm swamped with other soldiering duties at the moment and I'm not sure I can give Iris the guidance she needs," she added meaningfully in one last effort to get Captain to rethink his idea.

"This isn't an offer," Captain frowned, friendly side fading into an assertive side. "You will be working with Iris from now on. No questions asked. Do I make myself clear, Storm?" he challenged.

"Yes, sir," Storm sighed in resignation. Even she wouldn't ever defy Captain when he got serious.

"That's the spirit," said Captain, clasping her shoulder with his large palm as his cheerful side returned. He turned back to Iris, smiling again. "Welcome on board, Iris."

"Thank you, sir!" said Iris, waving as he strutted from Storm's cabin. Storm watched him go in disbelief. It was going to be a long six months...

"What do you think you're doing?" Storm asked disbelievingly once her cabin door shut again. Iris turned to face her in surprise.

"I was just waving goodbye to Captain," she said. "Is that rude?"

"Great, just great!" huffed Storm. "Gale gets to go on a mission and I've got to play nanny!"

"Well, I promise to not be too much trouble! Or too needy!" Iris offered weakly, sensing Storm's rising annoyance at the situation. Storm turned to her and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She may not have wanted an apprentice, but she didn't intend to scare the girl off on her first day.

"Look, we'll start simple," she said slowly, talking to herself as much as she was to the purple-eyed girl still staring intently up at her.

"Yes, Storm!" said Iris obediently.

"Hey," Storm snapped. "You call me Ma'am, ok?"

"Oh, ok…" Iris began to stutter an apology.

"What was your name again?" Storm interrupted.

"Iris Long," the purple-eyed girl answered quickly. "Ma'am," she added next.

"Well, Iris, take a seat. You can start filing the paperwork," Storm gestured to her little blue bed and tossed a spare clipboard onto it.

"Yes, Ma'am," said Iris, watching Storm lug a ton of files to her bed. Storm heaved them up with an irritated grunt and she glared at Iris who took the stack of paperwork and nearly dropped it all. It was going to be a long six months...

For the next hour, Iris and Storm worked on paperwork together in total silence. Well, Iris worked on paperwork. Storm was having trouble focusing. Although she really did try to be productive, her mind continued to roam. Sometimes it roamed to Captain and Storm would silently curse her leader for forcing her to nanny this baby girl, then it would roam to said baby girl and Storm would curse the girl for annoying her so terribly, even though neither had spoken in an hour. Then Storm's mind might roam to herself and she would curse herself for being stuck with another stupid apprentice that probably wouldn't even last one month, much less the required six! Then Storm's mind would roam to the universe and she would silently question who was responsible for her bad luck and why it had to be her.

At last, Storm couldn't take it anymore. The silence and negative thoughts got to her and the general annoyance of having a stranger in her private cabin broke her. She threw her pen down and hopped up from her desk almost angrily.

"Alright, that's enough for now," her voice was clipped and forced. "Let's go outside."

"Really? Sweet!" Iris hopped up, still oblivious to Storm's irritation. Then she darted right out of the cabin like an excited puppy. Storm rubbed her temples with another sigh and she asked again what she did to deserve this. Then she followed her new apprentice outside into the autumn sun, paperwork still scattered around the room as she slammed the door shut behind her. Iris was already several yards ahead, waiting eagerly for the real fun to begin. Storm groaned again but she followed Iris nonetheless.

"-and this is the sword fighting area," said Storm as she led Iris to another sector in the large forest surrounding their war camp. Although Captain had given this same tour just 24 hours ago, Storm was going into more detail with Iris now. "As you can see, the sandy dunes do make for a slightly softer combat ground," the blond added, gesturing to the pale ground in that part of the forest. She continued to talk about that area of the training forest before gesturing to several mentor-apprentice duos who were out practicing again. It still took Iris' breath away.

"Wow!" she breathed, watching older soldiers sparring in what almost looked like a dance.

"Haven't you ever seen a sword fight before?" asked Storm incredulously.

"Yesterday," Iris replied. "But that was my first time," she added embarrassedly.

"Shocker," Storm whispered to herself. She knew it was harsh of her to expect Iris to have already seen a sword fight, but typically, most people had seen at least one before they reached adulthood. Iris' slack jawed expression was very telling of the life she'd lead thus far and Storm would've been lying if she said that it didn't hurt her pride to be stuck with the most ignorant of the apprentices. Seriously, why did Captain have to saddle her with this girl?! Surely there was at least someone else who would've been a better candidate for some like her! Or perhaps that was the point. Perhaps Captain just gave her Iris to mess with her. That sounded like something he'd do at her expense.

The pair watched the sword fight for a few minutes more before Storm abruptly turned on Iris.

"Okay, then, that concludes the tour," she grunted.

"Thanks for showing me around, Ma'am," said Iris politely.

"Don't mention it," Storm sighed. "Anyway, you have fun," Storm continued.

"What?" Iris looked up at her in confusion. "Where are we-?"

"No," Storm cut her off. "We are not doing anything. I am going back to my cabin and you are going to do anything else but follow. Got it?" her voice was cold and hard, like ice.

"Yes, Ma'am," Iris bowed, finally stung from Storm's bluntness, but she obeyed nonetheless and only watched as her mentor ran away from her, never once looking back.

"What did I do wrong?" Iris asked herself once Storm was gone. She sighed heavily, leaning against and a tree and continuing to watch the sword fighting going on around her. Only day two and it seemed that her mentor hated her, but why? What had she done wrong? The girl could only shake her head slowly as she continued to stand in the shadows, envious of how well everyone else seemed to be getting along with their mentors while hers couldn't even be bothered to stick around. Surely even Clover was having a better time than she was! It had been a rocky start, to say the least.

A few hours later, it was time for dinner. Storm sat down in the dining hall with a relaxed sigh. She hadn't seen Iris since the end of the tour and she had managed to finish all her paperwork. It had been a good day.

"Hey Storm!" two voices cried. The normally stoic blond flashed a rare smile as she watched the young man from earlier, Gale, walk over. He had since changed into a more relaxed outfit. With him was a tall, thin brunette with pale green eyes. It was Gale's wife of three years. Her name was Tempest. She was Storm's sister from another mister, as she said.

"Hi guys," the blond watched them set their own dinners down. The trio then exchanged a few pleasantries before the talk shifted over to Iris.

"How was your first day with her? Was the tour good?" Tempest asked politely, interestedly.

"Yes. It was good. Very quiet," Storm answered, failing to hide a smirk.

"You ditched her too?" Gale sighed, remembering how that had been Storm's tactic since apprentice four. Storm nodded smugly. "Not another rocky start!" the young man slapped his forehead.

"Storm!" Tempest chided, agreeing with her husband. "You have to try harder with this one!"

"Says who?" Storm snorted. "Besides, she doesn't seem to be taking it too hard," the blond gestured across the dining hall where the apprentices were all clumped. Sure enough, Iris was there and chatting heartily away with several other newbies, the ginger ever at her side.

"That's no excuse," Tempest argued coldly. "You have to really try with this one!"

"As if I didn't with the others," Storm deadpanned back.

"No. You didn't," Tempest argued,

"But why? What's so special about her?" the blond snapped finally. "Why do you care so much?"

The two women continued to bicker until Gale interrupted their fight over Iris.

"Tempest is right, Storm," he said finally. "I know you may not like her, but there is something about Iris that you need to try!" he insisted. "And I'm not just referring to the eyes either," he added thoughtfully. Then he and Tempest both continued to urge Storm into trying to train Iris properly instead of brooding about it and trying to ditch her.

Storm sighed in defeat once she realized that her two closest friends were firmly against her on this one.

"Fine. Whatever," the blond huffed. "But just don't expect me to start warming up to her!"

"Don't worry, we're not," Gale reassured. "We just don't want this rocky start to reach a rocky end!"

"Just try. That will be enough," Tempest agreed sagely and Storm was forced to let the issue drop for then. She really didn't want to train Iris, but the few friends she had were all refusing to side with her. Her chance at dropping Iris was getting slimmer and slimmer. The blond turned subtly towards the brunette and sighed, accepting her fate before returning to her meal, her two friends watching her closely. The rest of their evening wasn't nearly as pleasant as Iris' who, as Storm had noted earlier, was busy chatting away with Clover and a few others nearby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So here we go! We finally meet Iris' mysterious mentor! She isn't exactly happy with getting an apprentice, but she will warm up to it… Right?


	7. Training

Unfortunately, trying to be patient with Iris was harder than it seemed. For the first month, training was a nightmare on both sides. Iris was constantly close to breaking just because of how high Storm's expectations were and Storm was close to breaking just because of how poorly, in her eyes, Iris was doing. The girl was so tiny, weak, inexperienced and scrawny compared to Storm and, coming from Labelle, Iris wasn't exactly the fittest person in Denbar anyway. Then, to place such an obviously inexperienced girl under the tutelage of the best soldier in Denbar was the icing on the cake. It was a duo destined to fail from day one. Iris really was trying to please Storm, but just by virtue of being new to the army, she was unable to do all the things Storm could and, for some reason, Storm didn't seem to understand that. This left poor Iris to continue to try and step it up only to fail because the bar was set too high and this culminated in an inferiority complex among other things for Iris. While Storm had to continue to try and train her. Iris probably was the most unfit apprentice Storm had ever (tried) to mentor. She didn't like it at all.

"You're pathetic, Iris!" Storm spat, weaving through the twisted tree branches of the training forest.

"Your legs are so long!" Iris replied, panting. "I have to take three steps for each one you take!"

"My legs aren't long, you're tiny," Storm's growl turned into a taunt and she smirked coldly. "Now stop complaining and hurry. You're supposed to be the young one!" she continued to run across branch after branch.

"I'm not tiny, you're enormous!" huffed Iris, elbowing past a more willowy tree branch in attempt to keep up with Storm. She was doing pretty well, in all honesty, but once again, it wasn't good enough for Storm and that was hurting Iris.

"Very witty," Storm grunted. "Now, I need you to follow my lead on this next part. The autumn wind can be quite violent with these trees."

"Wait, what?!" Iris cried, almost falling from her present branch.

"You'll be fine!" Storm snorted. "You are so tiny! Even if you do fall, you will do no harm to the tree, the ground, or any of the branches between the two of you!" she added with another smirk. Had the branch Iris was on not been so shaky, she might've taken more offense than she did.

But that was just one example of Storm's poor teaching skills. There were many more to go and sometimes, Storm didn't even teach!

"I don't feel like taking you out, so just clean my cabin," she huffed. "The autumn leaves are everywhere!"

"What?" Iris cried angrily.

"You heard me," Storm answered dangerously, interrupting Iris' protestations.

"But I'm training to be soldier! Not a maid!" Iris whined. For once, she wasn't going to take Storm's needlessly cruel orders.

"You also weren't training to defy your superior!" Storm growled. "Now get to work!" she commanded.

"Yes, Ma'am," Iris muttered angrily, taking the old broom from Storm's wall.

"I heard that!" the blond shot back and she scowled as Iris intentionally scuffed up her floor while sweeping.

Such an antagonistic pattern carried on day after day.

"Faster! Faster! Another lap!" Storm thundered as Iris finished sprinting through the forest. "You'll never survive a real battle if you can't take more than one simple lap before getting tired!" the blond snapped as Iris looked close to collapsing.

"Well I apologize, Ma'am, if I can't run at the speed of light!" the purple-eyed apprentice snapped, panting harder than a dog.

"Get moving!" Storm spat back, giving a death glare to the defiant child. For the first time, though, Iris wasn't quailed. Instead, she only glared at Storm and the pair was locked in the silent stare down until Iris' strength returned.

"Well, now I'm ready to continue training," she said haughtily, then she darted off before Storm could totally lose it. Storm had every right to report the girl's insubordination but pride made her determined to sort the girl out herself, so she only snarled after the retreating girl in pure fury.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Storm shouted the next day. "You'll be dead before you even get that sword up at the rate you're going!" she snapped. Iris was using a compact blade which meant the weight was more concentrated than an elongated blade. It was why she was slower.

"Can't I go back to my usual weapon?" she asked as she finally swung the smaller but heavier piece of metal up.

"No! You are expected to know how to use every weapon in our arsenal before you can go claiming you found your signature weapon!" Storm snapped back. "Now come on, even I do better with these clunky things than you!" she swung her own short blade, nearly breaking Iris' jaw. Iris felt a surge of anger and swung back, bruising Storm's wrist in the process. Storm wasn't sure if this hurt or impressed her. Iris, however, was too annoyed to notice what she did, choosing instead to take another slow but hefty swing.

Later that night, after Storm had totally crushed Iris in every sparring match they had, Iris found herself curled up under her sheets again.

"I take it that training didn't go too well?" a voice asked. It was Clover.

"It never does," Iris sighed back miserably. Clover winced. Iris was right. It had been two weeks already and never once had Iris come back to her with a positive report. Instead, ever since day two when Iris and Storm first met, things hadn't gone well for either of them. Every night, Iris would come back to bed either angry or depressed and Clover ended up hearing exactly how it happened. She hated to think about how much Storm was hurting her best friend, but there was nothing Clover could do except to listen to Iris vent.

"Well, I'm proud of you," Clover replied at last as Iris continued to just lay miserably on her bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"Thanks," Iris grunted.

"I'm serious!" Clover sat up in her own bed, trying to get Iris to see just how much she meant to Clover. "Even if Storm thinks you're not enough, you're the strongest girl I've ever met!" she promised. "You're my best friend, we've known each other for 13 years. I should know whether you're brave or not and I say that you are!" the ginger continued passionately.

"Thanks," Iris repeated, but this time, her voice was a little more sincere. "But if you ask me, you're far braver than I am," she told Clover. "You came along with me just because you wanted to stay with me, not because you actually wanted to join the war," she reminded.

"I beg to differ," Clover reached out to Iris and held her hand between their beds. "I may have only decided to come along to follow you, but that doesn't mean I regret what I got myself into and even though you're right that you were way more hyped to join the army than I was, that doesn't mean I haven't seen you be brave. I know how hard to you try here. You are braver than you think."

"Agree to disagree?" Iris joked and Clover only laughed in reply.

For a moment, the two were happy, but it faded away again all too soon.

"I just don't think I can do it anymore, Clover," Iris sighed a bit later. "I've tried and I've tried but nothing is ever good enough for her."  
"Well, maybe you just need to give it some more time," Clover tried. Iris shot her a purple glare.  
"It's been two weeks! I've given her enough time! Why should I have to slave away under her? Surely there's someone else I can train with! Surely she isn't the only mentor out there!" she cried.

"Well, have you tried talking to Captain?" Clover asked next. She felt bad for Iris, truly she did, but her own mentor was such a sweetheart that she had a hard time relating with Iris and imaging a cruel mentor. Army camp life had been hard, even for Clover, but she was holding up really well. It was hard for her to think that Iris, who had always been the more boisterous of the two of them, wasn't managing as well.  
"No," Iris confessed miserably. "Every time I try, I just get all nervous and queasy and I run away!"  
"Oh, Iris..." Clover exhaled sympathetically. "Would it make you feel better if I came with you to ask? I really do want to help!"  
"I know you do, Clover," Iris promised. "And I'm eternally grateful, but I just keep feeling like he'll say no anyway. He keeps on saying I could be good for Storm..."

The purple-eyes girl sighed miserably and Clover felt her heart twist sympathetically. Now she understood. On a selfish level, Iris wanted out because she didn't think she could honestly stand Storm any longer, but at the same time, embarrassment, shame and cowardice were keeping her quiet. It would hurt Iris' pride to request a new mentor, especially so soon. Then, just like she'd said, Captain seemed so sure that Iris would be the one to warm Storm's icy heart. Even though she was under no obligation to, Clover and Iris both knew how bad Iris would feel if she proved Captain wrong. Iris was stuck under Storm not by fear, but by guilt and a desire to prove herself.

The two girls continued to sit together in silence before Clover finally pulled her hand out of Iris' just to push their beds together. The moment the metal frames were touching, Clover hopped back up onto her bed and began to cuddle the smaller girl. She wrapped her long arms around Iris' tiny body and rested her chin in Iris' curly brown hair. Iris instinctively snuggled deeper into the arms of her best friend, but it was clear that even this tender display of affection wasn't enough to cheer Iris up entirely. It was so sad to see Iris looking so defeated and so ready to quit. It was made even more heartbreaking when one considered how positive and eager Iris usually was and how becoming a soldier had been a giant dream for her. To see her being crushed so thoroughly while trying to obtain her heart's deepest desire was saddening.

Clover finally wrapped an arm around Iris in such a way that their hands intertwined again. Feeling Clover's fingers curl around her, Iris finally relaxed. She tried to forget her worries just for that moment and revel in the feeling of Clover holding her in this way. It ended up working and, soon enough, Iris was fast asleep. Clover always knew just how to make her feel better, how to make her feel loved, and in that moment in the stillness of the night, Iris was finally able to stop worrying, just for a moment. Clover smiled when she felt Iris' breathing slow down and it didn't take long for her to follow Iris into the dreamworld.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ok, so maybe Storm is being more stubborn than expected. But don't worry. When her first mission with Iris kicks off, it may be just intense enough for a friendship to bloom. Maybe.


	8. Jason Lockewood

The very next morning, which mirrored the fourteen others that Iris and Clover had already been through, began well enough. Though the autumn wind was brisk, it was not unbearable and the sun was already peeking its golden rays over the tree tops. At their own pace, soldier and apprentice woke up and headed to breakfast. Early mornings were never that strict. Instead, so long as everyone was ready to start training by 8:00, everything was pretty open. Iris and Clover were some of the last to rise, earning several snickers from their cabin mates as they woke up in the same bed. Iris' particularly disheveled look didn't help matters, but neither girl tried to dispel the rumors or suspicions. Instead, following routine, they got ready for the day before straggling into the dining hall to eat breakfast.

"Hey! You're Iris Long, right? Storm's girl?" a voice asked the moment Iris sat down.  
"Yes," Iris replied tiredly, mood darkening the moment her mentor was mentioned.  
"Is it true you pushed her out of a tree yesterday?" the voice continued to demand. Iris didn't reply, not wanting to go into all of that mess again. The voice was persistent, though, and continued to question her. Its owner boldly took a seat beside Iris, shoving Clover out of his way and totally missing the look of fury from her that such an action had won him. As gentle and meek as Clover was, she was very protective and possessive of Iris. Being shoved out of the way by some stranger wasn't just rude, in Clover's sapphire eyes, it was also a gesture of theft. Iris was her friend. What right did that boy have to just waltz in and shove her aside?

"Come on! Please tell me! I want to know if it's true!" he pleaded. Iris exhaled, finally annoyed enough to look up. The moment her eyes met his, however, she cringed. She saw the way his brown eyes had begun to widen…  
"Here it comes," she whispered.  
"Why are your eyes purple?!"

"And there it is," Clover finished, smiling despite her annoyance at this stranger. She, being Iris' oldest friend, was just as used to this infamous question as she was. And this boy, whoever he was, was not the first apprentice to ask Iris this exact question. Instead, in their own times, each and every other apprentice had asked the same question with the same stunned and disbelieving tone. Clover decided that if she had a dollar for every time someone asked Iris why her eyes were purple, she would've made it into the hundreds in just these first two weeks alone.

Iris, meanwhile, was internally rolling her eyes. After having every last soldier and apprentice ask her about her eyes, she was tempted to demand that Captain make some sort of official announcement to the camp just so no one would ask anymore. As far as she knew, Storm had been the only one to never question her even once, despite them having been together for two weeks now. Honestly, though, this almost offended Iris. As paradoxical and crazy as it sounded, having Storm refuse to even acknowledge Iris' purple eyes made her angry instead of relieved or surprised.

"I was born this way," Iris answered with her age-old reply, smirking humorlessly as she spoke.

"Oh," the boy rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I really only curious, but I realize that I might've come off as…intrusive," he said and despite her irritated mood, Iris felt a small amount of surprise in reply to this boy's answer. He was not the first to apologize for rudely demanding to know why Iris' eyes were purple, but he was the first to sound so sincere and guilty. Iris forgave him after she sensed his sincerity.

"It's ok," she promised. "Now, what were you asking about Storm?"

"Oh! Uhhh, I was asking about the rumors that you pushed Storm out of a tree," the boy replied, stumbling over his words as he continued to stare at Iris' eyes with poorly-hidden wonder.

"Oh yeah, that," Iris chuckled despite herself.

Yesterday, Storm was taking Iris on another run through the tree branches but, this time, Storm had tried to engage in combat with her apprentice while they were up there. Once again, despite Iris pleading with Storm not to do this, Storm went ahead and did it anyway. She didn't care how unprepared Iris might've been. Unfortunately, it backfired. At one point, Storm managed to land a solid blow on Iris. Iris didn't fall but she came so close that she panicked and threw her weapon, a club, and it hit Storm square in the chest. She actually did fall, landing pretty hard on the ground below. She was fine now, already mostly healed, but the incident had literally taken her breath away and Iris could only stare down at her as she twitched and gasped on the forest floor.

"I told you not to do this!" Iris called down to her feebly. Storm, having had the wind knocked out of her from the fall, could only gape up at Iris with her stormy blue eyes burning angrily. Suffice to say, Storm hadn't gone any easier on Iris for the rest of their training…

"That's awesome!" the boy pounded the table, laughing at Iris' story. Even though it wasn't quite the way rumors had said, it was still pretty funny and, in his mind, it was long overdue. Storm may not have been his mentor, but he knew of her cruel legacy and hearing that she'd finally been defeated, at least once, did his heart good.

"Thanks," Iris looked away shyly, touched by his positive and enthusiastic response. "And by the way, I never did get your name!" she added.

"Ah, yes, it's Jason Lockewood," the boy replied once he finally stopped laughing. He offered his hand with a professional expression, quite the change from the goofy face he'd had just seconds ago. Iris took his hand regardless and gave it a firm shake.

"Lockewood, eh?" Clover asked, still clearly jealous that Jason had so bluntly come between her and Iris, but at the same time, the longer the name sat in her brain, the more familiar it seemed. Then it hit her. "Wait! Your mother is the camp's chief medical examiner!" she cried.

"She is," Jason nodded. "Dr. Lisa Lockewood. She and my dad, Norton, used to work here together before retiring to have me," he said, but then his face darkened. "But then my dad died. I was 10. It was a car crash."

"I'm so sorry," Iris murmured and even Clover looked pained. Jason shook his head.

"It's ok," he promised. "Ma just decided to return here, to her life's passion, in honor of him, but of course she couldn't do that until I was of age."

The trio fell silent for a moment more as the two girls mulled over Jason's story.

"Wait a minute," Clover piped up after a moment. "I do remember hearing about the Lockewoods. You all were from my old home state. Didn't you have a relative name Edgar? Another famous doctor, right?"

"Observant," Jason commended. "But actually, Edgar was my mother. Lisa is a transwoman."

"Ah! That's right!" Clover clapped her forehead. "She was famous for outlining her own transition operation!"

"Yup," Jason sounded proud. "My mom is brilliant."

"She is," Clover agreed, seeming to finally warm up to Jason as they both continued to talk medical. It was in that talk that Iris learned that despite his frat-boy persona, Jason was actually incredibly nerdy and he just hid his studious nature under a more laidback and goofy mask.

An hour later, though, they had been split up and were training in various areas across camp. This meant, again, Iris was stuck with Storm.

"I saw you with that Lockewood boy," she remarked as she and Iris cleaned their weapons. It was one of the quieter moments between them.

"Yeah," Iris replied guardedly, hearing the disdain clearly in Storm's voice.

"He's no good," the woman said, confirming Iris' suspicions about what the blond thought about the boy. "He may act all smart, but he's nothing more than an arrogant know-it-all looking for a bit of attention."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," Iris countered sharply. It angered her to hear Storm speaking ill of someone who had been quite kind and entertaining. Iris was just glad Storm had yet to say anything against Clover. She was pretty sure that if Storm ever were to try and take a shot at the ginger, she would snap and it would actually resort to violence. No one spoke an ill word against Clover and survived Iris' wrath unless they had an insanely good reason for mistreating Clover in the first place. So far, not a single person who had spoken against her managed to come up with a suitable reason and Iris had dealt with them all accordingly.

"It's unprofessional!" Storm shot back.

"Why do you care?" Iris challenged.

"Because I don't want you associating with the likes of him! His mother isn't so bad, but him?" Storm's frown deepened.

"Well, news flash, Ma'am, you don't control every aspect of my life!" Iris jumped up at once, pure anger at Storm daring to suggest who she should hang out with and who she should avoid surging through her veins.

"I'm only trying to warn you," Storm answered evenly, but Iris could see anger burning just beneath her quiet exterior. Iris made a point to spend the rest of their time together that day talking about Jason.

That evening, at dinner, Iris was sure to tell her new friend all about what Storm had said about him.

"Awww, that's just because I was one of the other few apprentices who dared to mess with her," Jason chuckled. "In case you didn't know, I was the guy who stole half of her knife collection and scattered it around the forest for her to find later!" he boasted and Iris couldn't help but laugh as she remembered this. It had happened relatively early on in her training but, one morning, Iris walked in on Storm having a total meltdown because her knives were missing from her spot in the armory. They were later discovered hanging in the trees like ornaments and the culprit was never caught. It sounded like, though, Storm at least suspected who was responsible and was entirely correct in her guess.

"But she'll never be able to pin it on me without proper evidence!" Jason continued to brag smugly. He knew Storm badmouthed him just because he was smarter than she was. She thought with the muscles in her body, he with the muscles in his head. Brain always won over brawn. Now, that wasn't to say Storm was stupid, Jason's tricks against her were just a bit smarter than she was and it frustrated her to no end.

It was also during this evening conversation with Jason that Iris, and Clover, realized just how smart Jason was. Not only was he studious and curious, but he had an incredible memory. It was what allowed him to know how exactly to pull off his knife prank, memorizing the times in which it would be safe to rob Storm and then where exactly he needed to go in order to find her knives. And he already had all the camp rules memorized so he knew exactly what to do in order to avoid being punished for his foolishness. Jason was so much more than he appeared and Iris really began to admire it. She'd never met a more avid learner or memorizer.

In time, Jason even offered to become Iris' second mentor.

"There's so much more to soldiering than combat and physical training," he told her. "And if Storm won't show you, I will!" he promised. "But only if you'll allow it," he added a moment later, much shyer than just moments ago. He had looked so earnest about teaching Iris what it really meant to be a soldier that she couldn't bring herself to deny Jason, not that she wanted to either way, and she accepted him as a second mentor.

From then on, while Storm would dominate Iris' days, Jason would dominate her nights, teaching her about other aspects of war including the philosophy and diplomacy behind it and how to negotiate peace if combat could be avoided. Then, taking a page from his mother, he taught Iris all about medicine. Storm had spoken to Iris about how to treat an injury on the fly, but never in such depth as Jason went to because she always preferred to drill Iris on the bloodier aspects of war. It was like seeing a whole new world when Jason was teaching her and it was a beautiful world at that. Every night was a new lesson and Iris never got tired of spending time with her new friend…

"I thought he'd never shut up!" Clover sighed in irritation after another one of his late-night lessons. It was mainly for Iris but since Clover had wanted to hang out with Iris too, she ended up having to listen to the entire spiel as well. She wasn't quite as interested in Jason as Iris was and even though they had shared a friendly conversation about sex-reassignment surgery, she had ultimately come to see Jason as a bit of a know-it-all the way Storm did. With Clover, though, Iris found her distaste for Jason to be funny.

"Come on, he's smart and he means well," the purple-eyed apprentice tried to tell her ginger friend.

"Whatever," the ginger friend rolled her dark blue eyes, but she could see the way Iris smiled at Jason. Because of that, Clover forced herself to put away her distaste for Jason and tolerate him for Iris' sake. It looked like he was going to become a more permanent fixture in her life anyway.

It was at the one-month mark of Iris' arrival to Camp Heath that Jason finally solidified and confirmed Clover's guess.

"So, Iris, I know we've only really been friends for two weeks now," he began as they headed back towards the cabins, moon high in the sky.

"We have," the tiny brunette agreed, still repeating what Jason had taught her over and over in her head in order to memorize it.

"But I was just wondering if you might ever want to take it further?" he asked.

"What?" Iris stopped dead in her tracks. It was funny, although she had entertained the idea of dating Jason before and there were moments when she thought she saw attraction in his brown eyes, actually hearing him pop the question was something else entirely. Especially so soon.

"I was wondering if you wanted to maybe try going on a date, or something?" Jason clarified, voice suddenly high-pitched with nerves. It might've been funny had Iris not been taking his question so seriously, genuinely mulling it over.

But in the end, Iris did agree. She nodded slowly at first, then faster and faster.

"I would be honored to be your girlfriend," she promised and Jason exhaled in relief.

"Thank Denbar!" he cried after Iris agreed to his proposal.

"Is that usually what you say when you get a girl?" Iris teased him.

"Yes," he answered honestly. "Not a lot of the girls I liked were ever able to tolerate my kind of know-it-all nature. I mean, I know that your orange friend thinks the same way about me," Iris could see him look away shyly even though it was dark.

"Awww, Jason, Clover really does like you, she just doesn't like all the trivia the way I do," Iris tried to assure him.

"I can't blame her," Jason chuckled. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't this way."

"I don't," Iris replied calmly, then she took Jason's hand in her own and even though it was nighttime, she was sure he was blushing. He offered her his other hand, then, and in it were several irises.

"How cheesy," she smirked as she took the flowers. Jason chuckled nervously. "But they are pretty," she allowed and she could see his shoulders lower in relief. Only a week later, Iris and Jason were officially a romantic couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Soooo, Iris' got herself a boyfriend now. Thoughts? All it takes is one review and you can add your own input to the story!


	9. First Mission

For once, army life was something Iris enjoyed and she finally had something good to report home about. At the one-and-a-half month mark, though, something genuinely exciting finally happened. Iris had just started training for the day when it happened.

"Girls!" a voice boomed out to Iris and her mentor. The pair turned to see a stern-looking Captain watching them from a distance.

"Sir?" they asked in unison, dropping their weapons and turning respectfully to the giant soldier.

"My office. Now. Both of you," he commanded. Iris and Storm exchanged a surprised look, taken aback by the sharpness in his tone.

"What's wrong with him?" Iris asked, unused to him looking so grim and acting so stern. Storm only shrugged in reply.

"It is most unlike him, but I trust that whatever it is, it's important," she said, then neither she nor Iris spoke for the rest of the walk back to Captain's private cabin/office on the far west of camp.

After arriving to the small but fancy little wooden structure, Captain invited them in politely. They headed to his office room to find two chairs already sitting front of his desk. Clearly, this was going to be a serious talk and wasn't just a spur of the moment thing. Iris and Storm both sat down hesitantly while Captain took a seat in his larger chair behind the desk.

"As you both know, we are not the only army camp in Denbar," Captain began. It wasn't a question, but both of the girls nodded anyway. Since the protection of Denbar was the point of the army, there were four camps that surrounded the country on all sides.

"I've just received a call from Camp Steuben and apparently, they've begun seeing Noctifers at their borders again," he explained. Storm and Iris both sat up straighter, one already looking forward to the kill while the other couldn't wait to see what real combat and real Noctifers looked like, up close and personal. "But there were no attacks and we intend to keep it that way," Captain warned, gesturing for the couple to calm themselves and sit back again.

"Then what's the point of this mission?" Storm demanded. Both Captain and Iris could see a deep hunger in her blue eyes. It was clear that the strange hiatus from the Noctifer war, which had begun around the time Iris came to camp, was making her tense.

"It's a scouting mission," Captain replied calmly, unbothered by her sharp tone. He knew she was always one of his most aggressive soldiers. Of course the thought of battle was making her twitchy. Especially after a month and a half of eerie silence from the enemy.

"A scouting mission?" Storm echoed, clearly displeased. Captain nodded solemnly.

"The leader of Camp Steuben, Silas Grau, has requested a few soldiers from each of the other three camps in order to come see this for themselves and help strategize a next move," he said.

"And I've been the chosen soldier?" Storm guessed.

"You and Iris both," Captain corrected her.

"What!?" Iris and Storm both exclaimed. Captain only nodded solemnly again.

"He asked for both of you by name," he said, brown eyes lingering on Iris.

"And when does he want us?" Iris asked, purple eyes brighter at the fear and excitement that came with being directly summoned for a quest.

"Now," Captain replied grimly.

"Then we should go!" Iris stood up quickly, turning towards Storm. Storm, however, hadn't moved an inch. Her mind was going a million miles an hour as she tried to reconcile the fact that she was going to be taking Iris out on her first mission, a scouting mission, to Camp Steuben.

"You can't be serious," the blond muttered in disbelief, then she dismissed her apprentice who quickly bolted out the door.

"I am. And so is he," Captain said as his cabin door swung shut.

"But she's just a child!" Storm insisted. It was the very first time Storm actually sounded even a little concerned for Iris, but that was because, as antagonistic as their relationship was, Storm had come to feel protective over the tiny brunette. Taking her into such danger so early went against her instincts. Camp Steuben was a safe place, but they had suffered the most from the Noctifers and Storm didn't think Iris was ready to go against any Noctifers even if only for scouting reasons. The reason Camp Steuben was less stable than the other camps was because when the Noctifers had first touched down, they ended up landing on Denbar's east side. This meant the first wave of attacks had struck the east the hardest. They were ok now, but Camp Steuben still had the reputation of being a breeding ground for Noctifers.

"I know, Storm, I know, but Grau did ask," Captain warned the blond gently as she protested and Storm couldn't help but nod regretfully. Grau was the most mysterious and intimidating man in all of Denbar and no one in their right mind, even Storm and Captain, would defy his orders. What Grau wanted, Grau got, however unfair that seemed. It was just because, as shifty as he was, Grau got things done and had, time and time again, proved to be incredibly effective and intelligent. There was no reason not to trust him.

"Fine," Storm finally admitted defeat and, once again, accepted her fate without further complaint. Captain gave her a sympathetic look before following her out of the cabin to where Iris was waiting, having already packed to go during their short talk.

"Are we ready yet?" Iris asked eagerly as the two met her on the cabin doorstep.

"I have to pack first," Storm replied stiffly, shouldering past the girl with a frown still on her face. Iris ignored it, assuming that it was just Storm's naturally surly temper. In actuality, it was worry. Storm was worried for Iris, though she'd never let it show.

"Don't let her bother you," Captain told the girl. He could see through Storm's bitterness even though Iris couldn't.

"She doesn't," Iris replied and now, this was only half a lie. Jason and Clover both had made life a bit more bearable for the tiny brunette.

"Good to know," Captain nodded, hearing honesty in her voice and relaxing just a little. He knew Storm would be an incredibly cruel mentor and he had genuinely worried about Iris but when the tiny brunette never came to him asking to get a new mentor, he wasn't sure what to make of it. It was good to hear her personally say everything was ok.

"Oh! And by the way, this is for you," he added suddenly, handing the purple-eyed girl a little letter.

"Oh! Thank you," she told her leader on a reflex as she took the tiny envelope. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Captain answered honestly.

"What?" Iris asked in confusion, looking back up at him and away from the letter.

"All I know is that it's from Grau," Captain explained. "It's addresses specifically to you. I was instructed not to read it."

"Straight from Grau, huh?" Iris mused, eyebrows crinkling slightly as she studied the envelope again.

"He also asked that no one else read it either," Captain added. "So I'd read that once you get a moment alone," he suggested, gesturing his head to the soldier cabin where he knew Storm was. Iris understood the taciturn advice and nodded.

"Thank you," she told him again. He nodded slightly before returning to his office, leaving Iris alone on the doorstep to wait for Storm. Iris took the time to read her letter, silently praising Captain for his restraint. It was clear that he wanted dearly to know what the letter contained, but the seal of the letter was unbroken. This meant he'd kept his promise to not read that paper despite any curiosity he held.

But Iris had barely opened the letter herself when she saw Storm exit the soldier cabin with a backpack similar to Iris'. Reluctantly, the girl slid the letter into her bag and made her way over to her mentor. The pair met somewhere in between Captain's cabin and the soldier cabins and then moved towards the camp entrance side by side. They walked out past the opening archway and to the little hole in the ground that Iris and the others had ascended through to get here. Now Iris was going back down that hole, Storm coming with her. Iris hadn't left this army camp since her arrival one and a half months ago. The idea of going to another camp was exciting to her and going on her first mission made her feel so powerful even though she understood that it would be a relatively quiet mission.

Iris took a moment to study the subway, absorbing more of it while Storm fiddled with some control pad on the guardrail that separated the dock from the four subway tracks. After a moment, a whizzing noise could be heard and Iris turned to see tiny subway cart speeding towards them. It was smaller even than the one she rode in on her first day. As she walked by the control pad on the guardrail, she noticed that the button for the smallest cart available was glowing. As was the call button for Camp Steuben. The cart stopped right where Iris and Storm stood and Storm pushed open a door on the guardrail, entering the subway cart. Iris followed after.

"What now, Ma'am?" the brunette asked shyly as their subway cart zoomed along its Camp Steuben-bound track.

"It'll be a two-hour ride," Storm answered flatly. She was too tense to mind her apprentice properly. She didn't mind the idea of doing this mission, but she minded Iris doing it. Again, the girl was too new to do this. Camp Steuben was known as the darkest of the army camps and Storm didn't want Iris getting hurt. Not on her watch. What Captain was thinking when he sent Iris on this mission was beyond Storm, but it was too late to do anything now, so the blond simply had to live with the fact that her apprentice, whom she had grown quite protective of, even if she wouldn't say it, was now in mortal danger. Great. So for the whole ride, Storm scowled at the ground while Iris curled up uncertainly with her bag, wanting some form of entertainment because she forgot to bring something, but not knowing what to do and not having the courage to try to engage her mentor.

Two hours later, the little cart came to a beeping stop and Storm shook Iris awake. The girl had fallen asleep at the 15 minute mark despite her concern of being bored. Iris gave Storm a lazy smile, still half asleep, before stretching and getting up slowly. Storm only rolled her eyes. Then, together, the pair exited the subway and entered the new camp on the above-ground.

"Jeeze!" Iris cried the moment they reached the camp entrance. It wasn't that the camp looked ugly, it was just so different from Camp Heath. This place looked more like a proper military base, being an expanse of flat and empty ground covered in concrete buildings. They were the same buildings back at Camp Heath (cabins, armory, hospital, dining hall, etc.) but the design and layout was just so different that Iris was amazed. It was really like stepping into a whole new world. In addition, where Camp Heath had been full of trees and floral life, this place was totally barren except for a few jutting pieces of earth towards the northeast side of camp. Those jutting pieces of earth ranged anywhere from simple mounds of stone to things large enough to be considered mountains in terms of size. Iris thought she could see a few soldiers training on one of those giant mounds. Clearly, she was looking at Camp Steuben's main training grounds.

"Don't be afraid," Storm instructed, misreading what Iris' astounded remark had meant. Before Iris could clarify, though, she felt Storm carefully pushing her back until Storm was standing firmly in front of her. It was a surprisingly open gesture of defensiveness, especially from someone as emotionless as Storm was. In addition, Iris almost thought she'd heard a note of protectiveness in her mentor's voice… Iris chose not to remark on it though, and the pair continued to pass through the entry archway, reaching the main part of camp in silence.

At last, the pair reached a tiny old cement building towards the south of the main camp. Obviously, it was the leader's private cabin.

"Wait here," Storm instructed softly as they reached the cement building's iron door.

"But Ma'am!" Iris protested. She wasn't sure what scared her more, being left alone, or watching her mentor go into a potentially deadly situation.

"Wait here," Storm repeated, voice harder than before. "You probably will have to come in eventually, but wait until I call you," she insisted. "Once inside, don't ask questions, don't gawk, just act natural. Got it?"

"Got it," Iris nodded reluctantly. The moment Storm turned away and entered into that little old building, Iris felt her heart rate increase just slightly. Why did she feel so… in danger? Nothing had happened yet!

Iris rocked back and forth on her feet, wondering what else she should be doing. It was during this time of total silence and solitude that the tiny brunette remembered Captain's letter. Though Iris supposed she should've read it before coming here, reaching its sender, she decided that it would still give her something to do. Besides, better late than never! She unstrapped her back quickly and quietly, pulling out the little letter. It was only slightly crinkled. Finally, she got to know what it said:

Dear Iris Long, Apprentice with the Purple Eyes,

I am Silas Grau, leader of Camp Steuben.

You don't know me, but I know you. Very well, in fact.

I look forward to meeting you today.

Our futures (and pasts) are more intertwined than you know… For now…

Silas Grau

Iris inhaled slowly as she folded the letter up again, that foreboding feeling in her chest returning tenfold. Clearly something was up and even if this was a scouting mission, Grau had a secondary goal behind it and Iris was a key part of that goal. But what had he meant? Their pasts and futures being tied? What had he meant?

"Come on, Storm, please come back soon!" the tiny brunette fretted, looking nervously up at the iron door again as she started to bounce on her feet again. She was growing scared and wanted to go home, but she couldn't just abandon Storm. Not when something so fishy was going on.

All the while, Storm wasn't faring much better. Although it was only her and Grau, it wasn't very comforting. Storm had met Grau before, their own pasts quite intertwined due to the war, but Storm still wasn't any more fond of him now than she had been in any of their other past meet-ups. He was far from evil, but there was just something so… strange about him that it was hard to trust him despite his legacy of never lying or telling half or false truths. Instead, he took pride in his open-faced honesty, never telling anything less the whole and total truth and not even playing word games in order to twist meanings. But despite this honesty, there really was something so archaic, powerful and other-worldly about Grau that it still made everyone, even Storm, uneasy.

"I understand you wanted to see me?" the woman greeted her elder, and current superior, with guarded respect.

"I did," the man replied, voice old but powerful. He wore a long black robe with a giant black hood so that it was impossible to see any skin.

"Well, what did you want me to do?" she asked with a sigh.

"Just what Captain should've told you," Grau replied. "You and your apprentice, little Iris Long, are to head over to the Noctifer Nest and scout."

"The Noctifer Nest?!" Storm exclaimed. "You want me to take an apprentice there?"  
"You're only looking," Grau waved an arm and a pale, thin, wrinkly hand webbed with purple veins protruded from the long black sleeve.

"But still!" Storm continued to argue. "It's the most dangerous place in all of Denbar!"

"But nothing," Grau interrupted, his voice getting even lower as he silently dared Storm to complain further. The blond got the message loud and clear and, despite her distaste for the old man before her, yielded at once.

"As you wish, leader," she said, emphasizing the last word.

"Good," Grau's face may not have been visible, but Storm could hear the smirk.

"Will you have us leave now?" Storm asked once the talk was over.

"Allow me to meet Iris first," Grau replied.

"Is it necessary?" Storm challenged again, that protective surge washing over her again.

"Yes and no," Grau replied, robed shoulders rising and falling in a shrug. "I don't need to meet her, but I would quite like to and I see no reason why I shouldn't be allowed."

"As you wish," Storm repeated, temper returning to her voice. Grau nodded once again and, understanding that cue, Storm turned to the door.

"Iris!" Iris turned to see her mentor's head sticking out of Grau's cabin.

"Ma'am?" Iris walked over to her.

"Grau wants to see you," Storm explained. Iris' purple eyes widened but she tried to lift her chin in resolve. Storm gave her an almost pained look before pushing the iron door open for her. Iris entered in and swallowed as she found herself face to… well, hood… with the man who could've only been Silas Grau. His long black robe contrasted sharply with the pale, bony arms that protruded from the baggy sleeves.

"Hello Iris," he said slowly. Oh yeah, this had to be Grau.

"Hello, sir," Iris replied, curtseying uncertainly.

"Such formalities won't be necessary," Grau said, referring to the curtsey and the name Iris had given him.

"As you wish," Iris replied, unwittingly echoing her mentor from a few moments ago. Grau chuckled lowly at this. He took a step closer.

"Let me just look at you," he insisted when he saw Iris take a step back and Storm a step forward. Storm and Iris both proceeded to give a wary frown, but as neither of them could sense anything immediately wrong with the request, his voice having not been threatening or hungry or driven by some sort of arousal, neither of them moved again.

Grau came closer and closer before turning and walking a few circles around Iris. Though they couldn't see his eyes, Storm and Iris both knew they were darting around wildly with interest as he studied every square inch of Iris. Iris felt a strange mix of disgust and peace. On the one hand, it was kind of creepy to be so scrutinized by a stranger, but at the same time, Iris really, genuinely felt unthreatened. It was like something deeper than her uncertainty was telling her that Grau really meant no harm. Something deep within Iris was telling her that for all of his creepiness, he was safe. Iris felt content with letting him study her, it almost felt natural. Like he was a friend. Or ally, if "friend" seemed too kind a term.

Once Grau finished his last circle around Iris, he returned back to his desk and, like before, stood impassively behind it.

"You may go now," he said. "Head east to the Noctifer Nest and report back by tonight," he finished, bowing his head once before sitting down and turning away from Storm and Iris. It was a clear sign of dismissal and neither Storm nor Iris needed further goading. Instead, Storm grabbed Iris' elbow and carefully dragged her back, making sure that she left the building first before shutting the iron door securely behind them.

"Well, he was creepy," Iris said the moment the door clicked shut, releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Are you ok?" Storm replied, stepping closer to Iris and inspecting her the same way Grau had.

"Yeah, he didn't do anything," Iris reassured, feeling a lot more uncomfortable under Storm's eyes than Grau's, as odd as that sounded.

"Let me know if he ever does," Storm requested. "But with any luck, we won't have to see him again until later," she added, casting a small glare at the building behind them as they made their way back towards the center of the camp. "With any luck, we'll be able to get our data and go," she said, growing more confident with every step she took away from the leader cabin.

"Where do we even start?" asked Iris, her own sense of safety returning, though it wasn't as clear cut as Storm's. With every step Iris took away from Grau, the more normal she felt, but at the same time, being around him had been oddly…soothing.

For lack of a better word, it had felt natural to be beside Grau despite them having never met before. It felt natural to be with Grau despite how weird that sounded and how shifty Grau himself had been. Once again, his hints at having known her pre-army was a little more than creepy and concerning, but she decided that as badly as she wanted to know, she really didn't want to end up in some adventure over her head. For all her eagerness, Iris still had a head on her shoulders and wasn't one of those teenagers who liked to jump into the first adventure that came their way. Instead, she preferred to err on the side of caution and take safety measures before she ran into anything. She didn't believe in reckless and thoughtless charging into battle the way some of her friends did. In her opinion, it was better to stay on the safe side than to pursue this curiosity. Her past with Grau, as interesting as it sounded, was a quest for another day. Right now, she needed just to get accustomed to a soldier's life. Right now, she had a real quest to focus on. It was her first mission and she was determined to do it well. She couldn't be distracted by anything else.

"Where do we start?" asked Iris again.

"Well, the Noctifer Nest is east," Storm began. "If you can see, there is a path that looks like it's heading south, but it will turn east eventually and we'll just follow it pretty much straight. Camp Steuben even has these bike-type things that we can ride up there to the nest."

"It's that easy?" Iris frowned.

"Yeah," Storm replied. "Remember that this isn't the first time Denbar has fought the Noctifers. Even though it has been 200 years, they do remember us and they knew exactly where to land this time."

"So how come neither side has crushed the other yet if we each know where the other is located?" asked Iris. By this time, the duo was grabbing some of those bike-things from the armory and riding out. Despite being relatively small, they were really fast.

"Well, the Noctifers, though strong, have a notoriously small army. They can't afford many mistakes, so every battle must be thought out. As for us? Well, we have been trying to take down their lair, but it's easier said than done. You'll understand when you see it," Storm replied as she and Iris mounted their bikes. Iris shivered at the implications but she squared her shoulders nonetheless.

"Lead on," she requested and when Storm obeyed, starting up her bike and riding off, Iris fell in line after her in perfect obedience. Not a single word was exchanged between them after that. For all of their rivalry, they knew a serious situation when they saw one and this was definitely one of those times. They could not afford to let their past bad blood get in the way today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So, Iris and Storm are finally on their first mission. Hopefully, though, their own animosity won't distract them too much from something that may not be as simple as it seems. Grau may or may not be the most trustworthy or well-meant leader in Denbar, after all. Going on a mission for him is never as simple as it seems.


	10. First Battle

Despite the speed of the bikes and the simplicity of the travel to the Noctifer Nest, it still took quite awhile to arrive and, by the time the duo finally reached their destination, both of them had almost been subdued into a relaxed state. This was a dangerous state to be in so, the moment they touched down and dismounted their bikes, Storm intentionally unsheathed her sword and swung it around a little. They may not have come for combat, Storm still brought along a sword and hearing it tug from its sheath woke her up a little. It was just enough to get her ready to carry out this mission with proper attention and care. She couldn't afford to doze off now, no matter how peaceful things might end up being. Iris did likewise, kicking her own shin with her heel in order to wake herself up. The pain did the trick and she continued to follow Storm forward as they left their bikes behind, hidden behind a large pile of stones.

Another brisk and silent jog later, the pair reached a massive mountain.

"There it is," Storm whispered, voice so quiet that Iris almost missed it despite Storm speaking into Iris' ear. Then she pointed to one particular spot on the giant face of the massive mountain and, after a bit of shifting around and squinting, Iris saw a hole. Clearly, it was the main entrance and exit. It looked relatively small, especially compared to the overall size of the mountain and its face, but Iris could tell already that if she were to walk up to that hole, she could probably fit 50 clones of herself into its entrance all at the same time without too much trouble.

"What do we do now?" Iris asked, whispering just as softly to Storm.

"Watch," the blond replied and that was just what they did.

For nearly an hour, the two girls simply lay side by side in stillness and silence, staring at the mountain and wondering what, if anything, would come out. It was painfully boring and Iris couldn't help but note the irony of being at war and being bored. One would've thought those concepts would be antonyms but, in hindsight, there was a lot of waiting around in war. Sure, there were moments of action, but it took a lot of waiting to reach those moments. This first mission was the perfect example of that idea.

At last, however, just before they would've reached the one-hour mark, something happened. It was so sudden and random that Storm and Iris almost didn't realize it but, all at once, something like a stampede began. Literally, Noctifer just started flooding from the nest, pouring out of the main entry hole like nobody's business and then charging in a straight line, right to where Iris and Storm were waiting.

"What do we do?!" Iris shrieked in pure panic as the wave of aliens came tearing down upon her and her mentor. There weren't that many, but it was just so sudden and they were all so large and uniformed and quick that it was enough to scare anyone.

"We RUN!" Storm replied, hopping up and yanking Iris with her. It looked like the Noctifers hadn't seen them so Storm dared to pull herself and Iris to the left, running parallel to the Noctifer Nest mountain. It really was quite like a stampede, the Noctifers just randomly running straight down the path back to Camp Steuben, while Iris and Storm were just able to bank a left and escape.

"What do we do?!" Iris repeated again, just as desperate as before but way more quiet. In addition, she was referring to Camp Steuben instead of herself this time, head even turning westward to accentuate where her concern lay this time.

"There's nothing we can do," Storm replied, sounding just as pained as Iris. "I mean, I can try using my emergency phone to call Grau, but I don't know if it'll do much," the blond suggested, then she quickly pulled out the tiny box from one of the many pockets on her uniform and, in less than 15 seconds, she called Grau, gave him a warning, then hung up again. It was rule that while phones were allowed in combat, they were only to be used in emergency and were to remain in total shutdown until then so there would be no accidental alarms or calls going off. Storm followed this protocol perfectly, making the call a mere three words long (20 Noctifers coming) before putting the entire phone into a frozen state and returning it to that secure pocket. This would protect it from combat and keep it from making too much noise in case it did, hypothetically, go off.

"What do we do?!" Iris repeated for a third time, still clearly not happy with how little she and Storm had been able to do. She even stood up from her crouched hiding spot in order to take a look at the now-trampled path where the Noctifers had run on by.

"That was all we could do," Storm replied, understanding Iris' frustration all too well. "Now all we can do is go carefully after them and see if we can somehow make it back to the other side of their lines to help in the battle." she sighed. Then she stood as well and led Iris back to their bikes. By dumb luck, the bikes were entirely unharmed and it took them both less than five seconds to go speeding off after the battle-ready swarm.

All on the ride back, though, Storm was desperately formulating a plan to get Iris to safety, then she would return to combat alone. There was no way in all or any of Denbar that Storm would miss a battle but, at the same time, Iris was her top priority. Getting Iris to safety was all that mattered and until that could be done, everything else was either immaterial or in the way. But how in Denbar was Storm supposed to get Iris all the way through enemy lines and back to the heart of camp in time to evacuate? The blond only shook her head angrily as she continued to try and think of some way to get Iris out before she went and helped in the fight.

Iris, meanwhile, was mentally prepping for her first battle because, as far as she was concerned, she was going to fight beside Storm in what would be her first battle, in addition to her first mission. She didn't know Storm was trying to find a way to smuggle her out. She thought she was going to have to fight. The thought terrified her but she had already vowed that she wasn't going to just abandon Storm, no matter how afraid she was. It would be an unforgivable thing of her to run away if Storm was going to stay behind. Besides, Iris had wanted to become a soldier and fighting in battle was pretty much the biggest job she was ever going to have in this career. It didn't matter that a real live battle scared her more than expected and it didn't matter that it was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before, it was her job. She had to get used to it or she may as well go home. So Iris continued to breathe slowly, trying to tell herself to be ready and be brave and prove that she had what it took to be a soldier. But the Noctifers hadn't exactly been pretty and given that this was her first time ever even seeing one in real life because of the sudden and strange hiatus they all took, it was a little hard to do.

The bikes caught up with the Noctifers when they were about halfway between the Nest and Camp Steuben. Storm slowed her bike down and Iris did likewise. They spent another few minutes steadily getting slower and slower so that they always remained a few leagues behind the alien army, but then something went wrong. Somehow, one of the Noctifers had caught onto the fact that it was being pursued by two humans and it diverted from the main pack to go chasing after Iris and Storm. Several others came with it. This did mean that now Camp Steuben would only have to face 15 of these big guys, but that meant Iris and Storm alone had to handle five.

"TURN!" Storm screamed the moment five sets of red eyes embedded into green, animal-esque bodies turned their way. Iris obeyed the command, having also seen the aliens catch wind of them. It scared her so badly she almost, almost, wet herself. Then she did an incredibly tight turn and, with Storm right behind her, they both sped back the way they came as fast as possible.

They managed to outrun the Noctifers for awhile but were forced to end the chase eventually for two reasons. One was that the bikes were running out of fuel. Two was that the pair couldn't run forever either. They were only pushing themselves further and further into danger the longer they tried to win by running away. Storm pulled over first, stopping her bike and jumping off of it. Iris heard the decrease in sound that accompanied Storm shutting off her bike and she quickly did the same despite it going against every survival instinct she ever had.

"Are we just going to fight?!" Iris whimpered. Storm nodded grimly, tossing Iris a spare sword. Looks like this was an attack mission after all.

Iris' first battle went well… for about five minutes, Storm's legendary strength and skill allowed her to kill two Noctifers and severely injure a third all by herself. Iris, meanwhile, was doing pretty darn well too. Alone and as a mere apprentice, she was fighting against two angry Noctifers. It was mostly her dodging and running from slow but heavy blows, but it was still quite impressive to watch. This tiny and inexperienced girl was finding the strength and skill to fight two big ugly aliens alone. It wasn't half bad for a girl who'd never done a physical thing in her life before joining the army! She had no idea where this surge of strength was coming from either, but it was certainly welcome.

But after those five minutes, something changed. Somewhere in the flow of battle, something messed up and Iris was suddenly being dragged backwards towards the Noctifer Nest by the ankle. Iris panicked, screaming and thrashing like crazy and dropping her sword as she attempted to rip her leg right out of the jaws of the angry Noctifer. Noctifers were incredibly intelligent, though, so it was holding onto her in such a way that it would be able to hold her tightly without injuring her. It was holding her in such a way that she literally would not be able to escape by cutting her leg off in its teeth like she was considering doing. Iris had successfully been captured and, now, the Noctifers were going to engage in a game of hostage, having the intelligence to do this.

Or at least, they wanted to do this. But the moment Iris' screams of anger became screams of terror, Storm didn't need any other cues to know that Iris was in trouble. Instantly, Storm fled from the Noctifer she was fighting in order to go after Iris. Iris was still screaming incoherently while Storm was trying desperately to yell out commands to her. None of them registered so Storm fell silent again, striking at the Noctifer who was trying to drag Iris away. Despite her tiny size, Iris was fighting so hard that she was able to slow the Noctifer down quite a bit and it even stumbled a few times and had to readjust its grip on Iris' ankle. These tiny distractions were all Storm needed. They slowed the Noctifer enough so that Storm was able to fight it without having to be in a constant sprint after it. But at the same time, there was no way she was going to be able to get Iris away from it. At least not without help…

Storm turned back to one of the other two Noctifers and provoked it into chasing her around a bit. Iris was still screaming, crying and being dragged away. At last, though, Storm altered her path and ran back towards the Noctifer holding Iris. The other Noctifer was still chasing her at an incredibly fast speed. At the last second, Storm jumped to the right and watched with grim satisfaction as her pursuer crashed hard into Iris' captor. Being large meant Noctifers were very bad at speed and agility-based battles. Storm's pursuing Noctifer had not been able to turn in time to avoid hitting Iris' captor and they both went down, allowing Iris time to escape.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Iris screamed as she ran past Storm. The blond was amazed to see how nimble and quick the girl was after being dragged along the rocky ground by the foot and Iris, had she been in the right state of mind, would've been just as amazed at the fact that she was barely bleeding. Oh, she was pretty injured, but given the blows she had sustained within the last five minutes, she should've been far bloodier and weaker. Her leg should've been far more damaged and she shouldn't have been able to run, yet here she was, still sprinting around in a blind panic. Iris scooped up her sword again and, still freaking out, flicked her wide purple eyes over at Storm as a silent gesture for what to do next. Storm wanted dearly to tell Iris to run, especially now that the surviving Noctifers were injured enough for her to handle alone, but she didn't think Iris would survive if she tried to go back to Camp Steuben alone. Not when there were 15 other Noctifers down there.

"Stay by me!" Storm answered Iris' silent question and Iris ran back over to her, nodding her head frantically as she continued to stand in a fighting stance. Once again, even though the surviving Noctifers were down, they were not. There was still work to be done.

Another five minutes later, only one Noctifer remained and Iris and Storm both were covered in blood, some of it being their own and some of it being the green liquid of a Noctifer.

"We've got this, Iris!" Storm tried to encourage the girl, insanely impressed that Iris was still standing and fighting. Storm had already promised herself that, if they both survived this battle, Storm would never underestimate Iris again. It was true what they said about battle forging bonds between soldiers. Upon this day, Storm had a seen a new side of Iris beyond the bubbly goofball of joy that she usually was. Storm finally got to see just how much raw power Iris held within her tiny frame and just how deep her inner reserves of strength and courage were. And those reserves were deserving of a lot of respect. It was respect Storm promised to give to Iris from now on. Provided that they both survived…

Iris, however, hadn't even heard Storm's voice. As loud as Storm was, Iris was almost on another plane of existence at this point. For some reason, maybe shock or adrenaline, everything had slowed down and gotten louder and brighter. Although Iris was still afraid and tired, all of that was almost secondary to the strange sense of bloodlust that had overtaken her. It wasn't a violent emotion, but it was a deep, powerful and controlling one. It almost made her feel like she wasn't herself, but she was. It was hard to explain. Iris felt like she could sense every aspect of the battle, like she was playing some kind of video game. It was like she was fully aware of all of her surroundings and senses and she somehow knew how they were interacting all over the battlefield. At the same time, though, she was never able to focus on one particular thing, moving so quickly her brain could barely keep up. Was this was being a true soldier felt like?

On and on the duo fought until their fifth and final conquest fell to its knees.

"Yaahhh!" Storm screamed in triumph, lunging forward, but suddenly, she was flying backwards through the air. She'd been tricked! As injured as the fifth Noctifer was, it had only been faking the collapse to its knees. This left the Noctifer free to finish off Iris who, as crazy as she was at the moment, was not physically ready to finish this battle alone.

"IRIS!" Storm screamed out her apprentice's name as the apprentice in question raised her sword weakly while the Noctifer reared back. Both of them were at similar health level, but the Noctifer would win by sheer size, more massive than someone of even Captain's great girth.

Without even realizing what was happening, Storm was suddenly on her feet again. She tackled Iris to the ground, shielding the girl from the Noctifer, even though it wouldn't take more than maybe three blows from its massive paws in order to crush them both. Iris, meanwhile, was still in a haze, still lost in another world. She had felt Storm tackle her and she could see Storm trying to shield her with her own body, but it didn't mean anything to Iris anymore. Instead, it was just another action that had happened in this violent chess game and now it was Iris' turn to react to it. It was almost monotonous, despite having been incredibly unexpected. Iris heard Storm shriek above her, a sound of pain. If the blow had gone through Storm and reached Iris, Iris hadn't felt it. It was like Iris was seeing the whole world from underwater, transparent but rippling and heavy.

Something deep inside of Iris suddenly began to contract and tense up, like her innards were turning into ropes that were tightening around something she couldn't name. Then she suddenly was airborne, having jumped straight up without knowing how or why. She felt Storm slide off of her as she jumped up, going higher and higher until she'd slammed into the attacking Noctifer. It didn't do more than stun the creature for a couple seconds, but that was all Iris needed was to grab a sword and notice that her collision had caused the Noctifer to expose its throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So the scouting mission didn't go exactly as planned, but it looks like Iris just might reveal some of the strength neither she nor anyone else knew she had. But what about Storm? Will she survive unscathed?


	11. Miracle

Storm woke up slowly at first, but when she realized that she had no idea where she was, she woke up with a jolt. She sat up sharply, hissing in pain a moment after. Where was she? The whole room was dark, except for a sliver of orange light coming from the place she was facing. She stared at the sliver of light in confusion, but as the seconds ticked on, Storm realized what she was looking at. Somehow, she was in a cave, which was why everything seemed so dark and unfamiliar. That sliver of light was the gap between the cave entrance and the boulder that had been rolled in front of it. Storm was able to rise up to her knees and push feebly on the stone door. At first, it hurt too much for her to do more than lean her shoulder into the boulder, but the longer she stayed in that position, the easier it became for her. She began pushing harder and harder until the rock slid away from the cave entirely, lighting up the tiny chamber with the amber light of a sunset.

Storm took a moment to blink and squint, trying to accustom her blue eyes to the light before turning back to the inside of the cave. It really was an incredibly tiny space with room only enough for her and what looked like a clump of stones on the far back of the wall. Storm crawled deeper into the cave, amazed at how she'd ever been able to fit inside at all. Then the rock pile moved. Storm jumped backward, out of the cave entirely, hissing in pain again at the sharp sensation running through her body as she jumped. After swallowing down her pain, though, Storm continued to squint at the rock, wondering what exactly it was. She dared to crawl back into the cave, then her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Iris!" she gasped as realized that the pile of rocks wasn't just a pile of rocks. It was Iris, curled up against the back wall, swaddled in her uniform.

Concerned and confused now as to what was happening and how it was happening, Storm reached out gently, shaking the tiny girl.

"Iris? Hey, hey, are you ok? Are you up?" she asked, but when she didn't receive a reply, she felt her heart start pounding painfully in her chest. She began shaking Iris more insistently, her unanswered questions becoming more frantic. "Iris? Iris?! IRIS! Answer me!" but Iris was still totally unresponsive. Now, the girl wasn't dead, Storm could see her breathing, but her lack of response was still unnerving.

Storm tried one last time to wake the girl before drawing away and running her fingers through her hair in attempt to calm herself. She had to get Iris to safety ASAP, but how? Their bikes had been crushed by Noctifers, the emergency phone was lost on the battlefield, and Storm didn't think she was strong enough to carry Iris all the way back to camp. There was no way to get Iris home and no way to bring any help back up here. Storm didn't dare leave Iris alone, either, just in case any Noctifers were still around. It would take her so long to get back to camp and then return to Iris that there was a good chance of something happening to her while Storm was gone. The woman finally found it hard to breathe in that tiny cave and she exited it once more, staring helplessly at the horizon. It looked so normal and beautiful that it was almost like it was mocking Storm in her predicament. She turned away from the sunset and, in doing so, noticed something not too far away. A Noctifer carcass.

"Sweet Denbar, this has got to be the craziest thing I've ever done!" Storm hissed as she dragged the Noctifer skin, with Iris strapped onto it, across the ground. That's right, Storm had built something akin to a sled using Noctifer parts and was now dragging that sled back west. It was hard, but it was all she could do right now and it was still probably easier than just carrying Iris back. She didn't want to take a chance by leaving Iris alone while she was so vulnerable. What a Noctifer found her? It was only a miracle that she hadn't died already. Storm cursed Captain once more for putting Iris through this before she took another deep breath and continued to push forward.

It took a long time, but Storm did eventually get close enough to Camp Steuben to finally let Iris go. It was entirely dark by now.

"I'll be right back," she promised the unconscious girl, dropping her Noctifer sled and jogging back to camp, crying out for help, hoping someone would still be awake. It was dark, but she had no idea how late it was. Lucky for her, though, there were still a few people awake. They were on patrol, keeping watch in case another stampede was going to come. The first of that late night patrol to hear Storm was a squat man with thinning hair and a shifty expression. His name was Liam Venderwarp and he, like his leader, was relatively unpleasant.

"Storm? What are you doing here?" he growled when he saw her coming, gray eyes glittering cruelly.

"Shut up, Venderwarp, I need Grau," the blond shouldered past the round man, another rivalry temporarily ignored for the sake of something more important than a petty little argument.

"Hey! If you need him, you'll need me first!" Venderwarp grabbed Storm as she tried to run by. "I am his deputy!"

"I don't care! My apprentice is seriously hurt and she needs help!" Storm snapped, yanking out of Venderwarp's grasp. She braced herself in case he tried to detain her again, but he didn't. Instead, upon hearing that Iris was in trouble, he gave Storm a genuinely surprised look before turning in the direction where Iris lay. Storm took the moment to run away from him, reaching the heart of camp at long last.

"Grau!" Storm ran to the Camp Steuben Hospital and pushed past soldier after soldier to get in. Grau was there, but he was not in a bed. Instead, he and several others were doing rounds. The room, bright white with light, contrasted sharply with the dark outside.

"Storm," the old man replied calmly, unbothered by the impudent intrusion.

"Iris needs help," Storm cried. Grau didn't speak, but he turned to face Storm.

"Where is Venderwarp?" the old man rasped sternly.

"Sir, Iris needs help! We don't have time to get-" Storm repeated.

"I'm right here," a man interrupted Storm, suddenly appearing behind her, Iris in his arms.

"What? How?" Storm could only gape in confusion. How had Venderwarp been able to find and bring Iris back so quickly? Especially when Storm never gave any indication as to where the girl was! And she hadn't even heard him come in!

"Bring her here," Grau demanded. Venderwarp elbowed past Storm with a smug smirk that Storm would've quite enjoyed knocking off his face if he hadn't been holding her apprentice. Storm watched as Venderwarp obediently laid the girl on the bed nearest to Grau.

"What happened?" the old man asked the blond.

"I don't know," the blond replied truthfully. Beside her, Venderwarp let out a bark of laughter. She turned to scowl at him before explaining. "All I remember is us fighting some of the Noctifers and then waking up in some little cave. Iris was with me, all bundled up under her uniform, but she was entirely unresponsive."

"Hmmm," Grau turned to inspect the girl while Venderwarp and Storm watched him.

"So what happened to her?" Storm asked as they all continued to study Iris intently.

"Her body and mind have, in a way, shut down," Grau responded.

"What?" Storm reared back.

"She will be fine," the old man elaborated quickly to calm the woman down before she began to panic. "It's only a temporary shutdown, but she needs rest. This shutdown wouldn't have happened unless she was pushed too far," the old man paused and even though no one could see a face past his hood, everyone instinctively knew he was frowning slightly. "This shutdown is almost a defense mechanism, acting as a way to keep her body from doing anything else before it can heal up a bit."

"So, a coma?" Storm asked.

"Pretty much," Grau confirmed.

"Is there any way to wake her?" Storm asked next, worry creeping into her voice. Grau nodded, but before Storm could ask how, he turned away from her, Iris and Venderwarp and made his way further into the hospital building. He moved to the very back where an iron door stood, a sign upon it which read, "Off Limits". He entered that room and, several moments later, emerged with a needle and a little glass vial. The stuff in the vial was a bright red. Storm's eyes widened slightly, but she said nothing as Grau injected it into Iris' arm with the red stuff.

As soon as the last drop had entered Iris' veins, Grau finally started to speak again.

"Give her the rest of the night at least," he instructed Storm and Venderwarp. Then he turned specifically to Storm. "You can either rest here in my camp, or you can go home right now," he said.

"What about Iris?" Storm demanded.

"I wouldn't recommend letting her go until at least tomorrow morning," he replied. "But that's why I offered for you to stay, if you wished."

"I understand," Storm replied. "And I accept. Where will you have me sleep?"

For the rest of the night, Storm lay in a bed right beside Iris. Although Storm had still been strong enough to walk and talk, her injuries were pretty bad and Grau insisted that he treat her here, regardless of whether or not she decided to go home early or stay with Iris. After being medicated, cleaned and bound, though, that was when it came time to decide whether or not Storm would stay or go. She didn't need more than half a second to answer that question. Now she lay in total silence. It was past midnight by this point but she still didn't feel tired at all. Instead, she could only stare thoughtlessly up at the black ceiling, aware of a steady breathing that was almost totally uniform around the whole hospital. She turned her head weakly over to face Iris' still-unresponsive form. Storm gave her a pained look, silently apologizing for allowing this to happen to her. She didn't have it in her to curse Captain anymore, as much as he was to blame. Storm could only stare at Iris sadly, guiltily, knowing how much she owned the tiny brunette for saving her life. She could only hope this coma wouldn't last too long…

Storm woke up the next morning to find the bed beside hers empty.

"Iris?" she sat up with a jolt once again. She looked all around the hospital, but Iris was nowhere to be found. Carefully, she rolled out of bed, removing some of the tubing running in and out of her body. It was a dumb and dangerous thing to do, but Storm had to find Iris. She crawled slowly to her feet and made her way to the hospital door. All in all, she was doing pretty well for herself. In the morning light, she could see all kinds of cuts and bruises lining her limbs and torso and although some of them were bad, Storm already knew that she'd make a full recovery. Nothing had been permanently or fatally damaged.

Storm exited the hospital building, cringing slightly as the cold autumn wind swept by. She was only in a white nightgown so there wasn't much to protect her from the cold. After the initial gust of wind, though, the air settled itself again and she took another step outside and kept going until she reached Grau's private cabin.

"Ma'am!" a delighted voice pierced the air as Storm knocked and then pushed the heavy door open slowly.

"Iris!" Storm replied, hardly aware of how overjoyed she sounded because of the immense relief running through her veins. Iris was sitting at Grau's desk, Venderwarp with them. Iris jumped up, running over to Storm and stopping just inches before they would've touched. Storm's blue eyes roamed Iris' figure. While Iris let Storm inspect her, chuckling softly, the others in the room watched interestedly.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? How much pain are you in?" Storm demanded of Iris as she scanned over her apprentice's form. She was stunned to see that, already, the girl looked perfectly healthy. Despite yesterday's vicious battle and despite all of the wounds Iris had been covered in last night, most of them were already scabbing over and fading. She was able to jump, run and talk coherently, as evident by her reaction to Storm's arrival. It seemed like a miracle, but it was real. And, admittedly, Iris had always been blessed with an unnaturally quick recovery time, such a thing occurring since her youth. But still, this was amazing. Even she had been stunned at how good she felt when she woke up this morning.

After the happy reunion between the duo, it being the first positive interaction they'd ever shared, Grau finally spoke.

"It is good to see that you finally woke up," he said.

"Isn't it?" Storm agreed with a polite nod.

"I don't know," Venderwarp muttered, but everyone in the room heard and cast a cold look at him.

"Is everything alright here?" Storm asked, turning her attention back to Grau and Iris after she exchanged that cruel look with Venderwarp.

"As far as we know, yes," the old man answered. "Camp is secured, we suffered no casualties, most of our soldiers will probably be leaving the hospital today, you and Iris are both alive again, and none of the Noctifers escaped. They're all dead. I think everything is more than alright."

"Then, are Iris and I free to go home?" Storm asked next as Grau finished the happy report.

"Whenever you wish," the old man replied. A relieved look crossed Storm and Iris' faces both. As good as the people of Camp Steuben had been, there was no place like home and both of them were keen to get back to Camp Heath.

The duo left at once, leaving Grau's office and heading towards the subway.

"Goodbye! Thanks again!" Iris cried over her shoulder as she and Storm prepped to take the staircase down. Venderwarp and Grau only nodded but it was a genuine gesture. Storm, meanwhile, managed a small glare at Grau and Venderwarp before she continued to lead her apprentice back onto the subway, not looking back even once. Then, once the two of them were back underground, Storm went straight to the call buttons, this time hitting the one for Camp Heath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So they did survive! But can you say you're surprised? I'm only on the first part of this story. I ain't killing them off just yet. But still, what is up with Grau? And why was Iris in his office? What sordid agreements were they making? One can never really know with the shifty leader of Camp Steuben.


	12. Recap

"Thank goodness you're home and safe!" Clover cried. Iris and Storm had barely passed the Camp Heath entry archway when Clover appeared, running at Iris with an unbelievable speed. The sun was high in the sky by now and both Storm and Iris could see Clover's orange hair glowing like fire as she sprinted over, stopping just inches before she would've collided with Iris. It was evident in her dark blue eyes that she wanted to hug Iris as tightly as she could and never let go, but fear of bothering her friend's injuries kept her back. At least until Iris laughed and initiated the hug, grabbing Clover with an unmatched strength and even lifting her off her feet as they embraced. Jason came running over as well, his mother and Captain in tow.

"Iris!" Jason bellowed. Iris turned her head from Clover to see his ecstatic smile. All at once, Iris could hear her heartbeat and she set Clover down gently, giving her a questioning look. Clover smiled and nodded and Iris returned the gesture before running up to Jason where she, just like with Clover, literally swept him off his feet in a hug. His mother watched with a touched smile as her son and his girlfriend embraced, kissing and nuzzling one another gently in relief. Captain and Clover wore similarly dreamy expressions while Storm only rolled her eyes.

A few minutes later, the group had moved into the Camp Heath Hospital. Most of Storm and Iris' wounds had already been cared for enough, but now it was time for the recovery process. Both of them could still use some rest.

"Tell me everything!" Captain demanded as Iris and Storm were placed side by side on hospital beds just like at Camp Steuben.

"It was a long story," Storm chuckled darkly.

"Tell us anyway!" a new voice pleaded. It was Tempest. Storm turned her head and one of her rare, real smiles split across her face. Tempest ran right over to Storm's side and began to smother her just the way Clover had with Iris.

"Alright, Tempest! You don't want to kill her again!" Jason's mother reminded.

"Sorry, Dr. Lockewood," Tempest replied sheepishly, backing off. Then she turned back to Storm. "Gale wanted to be here, but ever since we got Grau's call from last night, we've been doing border patrols."

"Ah," Storm nodded in understanding. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but laugh. On the day she and Iris first met, Gale had come into her cabin, bragging about how Captain was sending him on border patrol. He promised to bring back a Noctifer head as a souvenir but had been unable to keep that promise because nothing had come up. Maybe now he would find something…

"Wait? Grau called you?" Iris asked, interrupting Storm's train of thought.

"Yeah," Tempest nodded. "He sent out a distress signal when you two called him and then kept someone locked in his office to relay how the battle was going while he and the bulk of the camp went out to fight. He reprised his call once the battle ended and kept up periodically updated."

"The last call he sent out was a goodnight call, explaining how you two were going to be stuck in camp overnight," Captain finished for Tempest, a severe look in his chocolate brown eyes.

Looking around the room, similarly disturbed and upset looks were mirrored in everyone else's faces. Even though no other battles had occurred anywhere else, hearing about the one from Camp Steuben had put everyone on edge and those who knew that Iris and Storm were stuck in that battle had been exceptionally worried. Clover and Jason, though neither of them had ever truly gotten along, managed to put aside their mutual dislike long enough to figure out a way to sneak out of the apprentice cabin and eavesdrop on the phone calls regarding the war. They wanted to know how Iris and Storm were doing and even though both of them were terrified at the thought of hearing a negative call, neither of them wanted to miss a single word. They'd spent the whole night curled up under one of Captain's cabin's windows, ears pressed against the wooden wall. Then, just about an hour ago, Camp Heath had received one last call from Camp Steuben. This time, it was to report that Iris and Storm were on the way home and would arrive in about an hour. After hearing that, Jason and Clover both agreed that regardless of whether or not they had permission to, they'd run out to see Iris the moment she came off that subway. Luckily, both of their mentors had been just as concerned and were more than willing to let their apprentices take a brief stop from training in order to see Iris return.

"Anyway, give us a recap!" Captain repeated, steering the conversation back to where it had started. Storm and Iris exchanged a look before Storm started talking.

"The trip over and the arrival to Camp Steuben was fine," she said. "It was only after Grau gave us the mission to go scout the Noctifer Nest that things got messy…"

"Wait. He asked you both to explore the Nest?!" Tempest interrupted with a horrified cry, pale green eyes darting over to Iris. Iris looked away, hating how her apprenticeship continually marked her as a child and an innocent. Hadn't she held up well enough in battle to prove that she wasn't just a baby who constantly needed protecting?

"He did," Storm confirmed. "We went up together but about an hour after we arrived, a stampeded just kind of started. Suddenly, Noctifers came pouring out of the Nest and went running straight towards camp. I don't think it was an organized attack, but that was when I sent in a distress signal," the blond continued. "A few of them caught wind of Iris and I and we ended up having to fight them. We did pretty well too!" she paused to sit up straighter, casting a proud look at Iris. Iris grinned despite herself. "But then, I don't really remember what happened next…" the blond's confident smile faded as she remembered trying to protect Iris, being struck between the shoulder blades, then collapsing into darkness.

Storm turned to Iris, a clear request for her to fill in the gaps. Iris looked back at her, purple eyes seeming to glow in the sunlight.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Storm nodded and the others encouraged her softly. She turned to face them all, Clover, Jason, Dr. Lockewood, Captain and Tempest. She exhaled slowly before nodding her head. "I can't remember much of that time either," she confessed. "But I do remember a little…" the tiny brunette paused to collect her thoughts before she launched into the recap. "Like Storm said, we were attacked. We fought as hard as we could and we did manage to take down every last Noctifer, but I remember just being so scared and alone that all I could think of doing was of running and hiding. Sure, the immediate danger was over, but I wasn't stupid enough to think that it was entirely over. I just couldn't think of what else to do so I ran. I took Storm to some little cave that we'd passed during our quarrel. And I know it was stupid of me, dangerous too, to just hide out there, but I was so tired…" the girl trailed off, as though the mere memory was exhausting her.

"Go on," Captain encouraged softly. Iris nodded and obeyed.

"Anyway, after we bunched up in that cave, I just kind of passed out and that was the last thing I remembered before waking up in the Camp Steuben Hospital. It was early morning, still too soon for anyone to be awake except for anyone acting as a night guard," she said. "Grau asked me into his office once I was strong enough and then asked me what happened and then Storm came in," the tiny brunette turned back to the taller, older woman and both of them knew that Iris had just tossed the ball back into her court. Storm gave an imperceptible glare, but it wasn't exactly directed at Iris. Storm had just hoped that Iris might've had more of a memory than she did, or that maybe Iris would reveal more about what all had happened to her after Storm had passed out. She could already sense that there were things Iris wasn't telling, but she also knew that it would be cruel to push the girl so she let her questions die on the tip of her tongue.

"I can only second Iris' recap," the blond said. "I was able to get her back to camp and get us both into the Camp Steuben Hospital but, by that time, all the excitement was over and it was pitch black outside. After I woke up and got us both to safety, repairs were already starting and I spent the rest of the night in the same state Iris was in."

"Well, at least you're both safe now," Tempest murmured, pale green eyes flitting fretfully between the two women before her. Clover had since taken a seat beside Iris and was stroking her hand subconsciously as she listened to the recap of Iris' first mission. Jason stood nearby, hand on Iris' shoulder. Captain stood at the ends of the beds in which Storm and Iris lay. Dr. Lockewood, meanwhile, was still running tests on the pair. Although the danger was over, it was still in Dr. Lockewood's nature to double check. She was a doctor, after all.

"Agreed," Captain muttered darkly, looking almost scary with his bushy brown eyebrows furrowed in anger. It was clear that as much as respect as he had for Grau, he was furious with the Camp Steuben leader for putting his soldiers in such danger. Sending them to the Noctifer Nest alone and unarmed?! What was that crazy old bat thinking?! Especially given that one was only an apprentice. Strong as she was, this was something Captain wouldn't even have sent Storm to do! Grau was about to receive some very angry phone calls…

Captain took leave soon thereafter and, one by one, all the others followed suit. Iris and Storm, however, were to stay.

"You both are healthy," said Dr. Lockewood. "But it'll still take at least a week before I'm letting either of you back out to train."

"Ok," the two other women replied, but one seemed totally fine while the other looked enraged. Storm, obviously, was the angry one. As terrified as she'd been through the whole ordeal, she wanted desperately to get back out there and the idea of having to stay inside wasn't exactly fun. At the same time, though, she trusted Dr. Lockewood. That woman was the chief medical examiner after all. Dr. Lockewood caught Storm's small scowl and gave her a sad smile before bowing her head and leaving the room, heading off to look after other aspects of the camp's hospital.

"Wonderful," Storm groaned the moment Dr. Lockewood was gone. She exhaled heavily and ran her fingers through her hair again. She cringed in pain, slightly, the injuries still sore from being cleaned up and prodded.

"At least we survived," Iris reasoned, interrupting Storm's irritated thoughts.

"Only barely!" Storm scoffed. "And now we're going to be stuck here, doing nothing but staring at the hospital walls!"

"Well, either way, you need to get your rest," Iris shrugged.

"Nonsense," Storm grunted stubbornly. "I'm fine!"

"Oh, come on," Iris sighed, her almost patronizing voice getting under Storm's skin. "You can stop with the heroics. There's no shame in admitting you got hurt. I got hurt too, after all," she said. Storm continued to frown but she didn't reply. Iris was right. If anything, even though her injuries were healing faster, Iris had suffered more than Storm had in that battle. It was unfair of Storm to try and push her…

Sweet Denbar, how things had changed between them in only one short day! Storm had gone from wanting Iris to reach her limit every single day to admitting that there were moments when that limit just had to be obeyed. She was actually admitting to herself that Iris needed to rest and this constant trying to see how hard she could go was dangerous.

"How are your injuries anyway?" the blond asked Iris.

"Not too bad anymore," Iris shrugged.

"May I see them?" asked Storm. It occurred to her that she had yet to see how badly Iris had been hurt.

"What?" Iris answered Storm's question with a question. It was just such a strange request.

"Your injuries," Storm repeated. Iris raised her eyebrows but she didn't say anything else. Instead, she sat up and pulled her white nightgown up. She also pulled the blanket from her legs. There were bruises, burns and cuts crisscrossing all over her, every limb and every part of her torso having been injured in some way.

"They're healing pretty quickly," Iris remarked as she took this time to study her hurts as well. She, unlike Storm, had been able to see how bad they were at first. They were still pretty ugly, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before…

Iris lowered her gown again and pulled the covers back up with a sigh.

"So, now what?" she asked.

"We rest," Storm sighed, already sounding terribly bored. Iris laughed despite herself. Storm scowled at her.

"I don't see why it's so funny," she growled. Iris shrugged, still laughing. Storm only rolled her eyes but, against her will, she smiled a little.

The pair spent the next few minutes in a peaceful silence before Storm dared to ask the question that had been plaguing her ever since she first woke up in that little cave by the Noctifer Nest about 18 hours ago.

"What really happened after I blacked out?" she asked. "How did you kill that Noctifer and how did you manage to get me into that cave? And what were you and Grau talking about when I walked in? Care to give me a recap of that?"

"Oh, uhhh-" Iris sounded nervous at once.

"Don't try lying either," Storm warned. "I can already tell that you do remember. The shake in your voice gives it away."

"It was nothing," Iris replied, lowering her head. Storm saw her swallow nervously. Storm narrowed her eyes slightly. She continued to press Iris gently, trying to weasel out even a drop of information from the tiny brunette, but not a word came out of her. Instead, she only shook her head and continually whispered that she either didn't know or didn't want to talk about it. It frustrated Storm to no end, but she finally left her apprentice alone and stopped asking questions. The pair fell silent again and, without meaning to, Storm fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So we get to see what happened while Storm was out, but what about Grau made with Iris? What is Iris hiding? Or has Grau blackmailed Iris into silence? That sounds like something someone as shifty as him would do.


	13. Grau's Proposal

But while Storm was asleep, Iris remained awake. Storm's suspicions about Iris keeping secrets was spot on. In truth, there was a lot more than she let on, and this didn't just include her miraculous escape from the Noctifer and subsequent finding of that little cave either. In truth, a whole lot more than just a simple fight and flight had occurred at Camp Steuben for Iris. It all began the moment Iris met Grau…

Just walking into his office to see him triggered something deep within Iris and the moment he began to circle her, it felt as though he was radiating something off of himself and onto her. It was like some kind of energy, for lack of a better word. And as Grau continued to radiate this energy, Iris almost felt as though a connection was growing and strengthening between them the longer he stood nearby. But even after he'd pulled away and returned to his desk, that tie lingered on and Iris felt physically bound to Grau, even though she couldn't describe the sensation properly. Then, even after Iris and Storm had left Grau's presence and headed east, that connection was present within her. It was weird, to say the least.

And then, during the Noctifer battle, Iris remembered seeing purple. Quite literally, the whole world had been tinged with purple for her. It was almost like her irises had slid over her pupils, as impossible as that was. But was even stranger that the purple tint was how Iris felt. Initially, she thought it had only been adrenaline, but by the end of the battle, she wasn't so sure. After all, regular adrenaline didn't prevent soldiers from getting severely injured, right? And regular adrenaline didn't cause someone to feel their body physically morphing, right? Or maybe it was all only in Iris' head. But at the same time, Iris just wasn't so sure…

During that moment when Iris was being dragged away leg-first, although she could feel teeth gripping her leg, the longer she kicked and thrashed, the less prominent those teeth became until it felt like the Noctifer was only gumming her. It was a really weird and gross feeling but it made no sense. Why had it stopped using its teeth? In the back of her mind, even during that chaotic and panic-filled moment, Iris was certain that the Noctifer hadn't stopped using its teeth by choice. Instead, she couldn't help but wonder if she had somehow been responsible for that change, as crazy as that theory sounded.

Then there was that little last battle with the lone surviving Noctifer. Iris remembered literally getting beat down, knocked to her knees, but right before a killing blow was issued, Storm interceded. She had thrown herself on top of Iris and took the blow for her. It was after feeling Storm slumping over her that Iris received another adrenaline rush, or whatever it was. The anger and hunger for blood just overtook her and, without even thinking about it, she jumped straight up with strength she didn't know she had. She managed to scoop up a nearby sword, probably the one Storm dropped trying to protect Iris. Once she had the sword in hand, caught in mid-jump, the Noctifer twitched its head back as though something Iris had done had physically repelled it. Iris took no time to wonder why or how, however, because the moment the Noctifer twitched away, it exposed a very soft and fleshy part of its neck. Iris had never thrust a blade so hard before and it sank almost to the hilt into the Noctifer's throat. She'd expected it to be a lot harder to stab a throat, but the flesh already felt soft and rotten. The alien choked to death on its own blood in a matter of seconds. Iris was hardly aware of it, though because, all at once, her heartbeat suddenly seemed far too loud and far too fast.

It was like she was suddenly hearing it in stereo after not being aware of it for the whole of the battle. This sudden realization scared Iris because she didn't know if this was still due to the adrenaline rushing through her body or if it was something more serious. Her heartbeat shouldn't have sounded so strange to her, so loud and fierce. She wanted to ask Storm what was going on, but the woman was face down on the ground and barely even breathing. Seeing that sparked something within Iris once more and although she still felt sick and sluggish, she found the strength to approach her mentor's body and slowly, painfully, drag her away…

Iris hadn't been sure what her plan was, nor was she sure if it would work, but instinct led her on and she didn't stop dragging Storm back west until they passed another mound of rocks. This whole eastern side of Denbar that lay outside of Camp Steuben seemed to be nothing but a series of alternating plains and mountains. What Iris had found was the start of a few more mountains, though they were more like large hills than actual mountains. Some of those hills were hollow, they were more like caves. It was inside one of those hollow hills that Iris had dragged Storm and herself. The frightened apprentice then spent the next half hour tending to Storm, trying and failing to wake her up.

"Come on, Storm, come on! Please don't leave me!" she pleaded softly. As the tears welled up, her world tinted purple again. This time, though, the purple seemed very faint except in places around Storm's wounds. There, the purplish spots appeared brighter. It was so bizarre, on several levels. Of course, the first and foremost level was the purple tint at all. The second was its seemingly conscience ability to pick out certain details, such as wounds, and almost highlight them. The last reason was, in a way, the highlights themselves. They were only near Storm's wounds, but it was almost funny. Storm's wounds were serious enough that anyone with a pair of working eyes would be able to find them. As far as Iris was concerned, having a purple tint to them was kind of unnecessary. But the first reason was what she still couldn't get over. Iris could only shake her head as she continued to tend to Storm's injuries, carefully tearing part of her and Storm's uniforms and turning them into makeshift bandages.

As the time passed, however, the exhaustion sunk in again and Iris physically felt herself draining until she knew she had to stop. She put one last bandage around Storm's torso before she curled up towards the back of the cave. It was risky to fall asleep like this, but Iris was suddenly, physically unable to open her eyes. Instead, with the last of her strength, she crawled towards cave wall and collapsed into a ball. Then she was gone, whether or not she really wanted to be. All through this coma, faint tints of purple danced at the edge of her vision.

When Iris woke up again, hours later, she could see red tints instead of purple ones. She was faintly aware of voices around her and a warm bed beneath her, but she couldn't make out much more than that. She fainted again not long after she first woke up. This time, however, the fainting spell only lasted a couple hours. In addition, she was a tad more coherent when she woke up this time around. It still took her a moment to sit up and fully come to her senses, but at least she was able to stay awake. As she turned her head around to survey the room, she realized that Grau was sitting by her bedside.

"Ah! You're up!" he crooned, tilting his head. She was surprised to hear what sounded like genuine relief in his brittle voice.

"Urrmhmmahrg?" Iris asked. The man chuckled, a raspy sound.

"Take it easy, Iris, you've had a rough day," he said. "I've had to give you so many injections that I was starting to worry."

"Injections?" Iris rasped, voice so weak that it was amazing the man could hear despite only being a few inches away.

"Yes, I have been in a few times over the night," the old man replied. "I've been checking up on you."

"What about the others?" Iris asked, then her purple eyes widened. "What about Storm? Where is she?!"

"Right beside you," Grau replied. Iris turned her head. Sure enough, lying half a foot away on another hospital bed, was the wounded soldier.

"Will she be ok?" Iris fretted, not taking her eyes off the woman.

"In due time," Grau replied, still entirely calm, unlike Iris. It was clear he found Iris' concern over her mentor to be most amusing. "But, in the mean time, we have important matters to discuss."

"Like what?" Iris asked warily.

"If you feel strong enough, I'd rather you come back to my office to talk," Grau answered. Like that wasn't suspicious at all. But Iris supposed she could agree. She really did want to know what Grau had to say and, so far, he'd proven to be an ally, at least. He'd tried to save her life, after all. So she did agree to his request and, together, the two of them slowly rose from their resting positions and made their way across camp back to Grau's.

For the next hour or so, Grau told Iris all about the Noctifer war and everyone's place in it. Iris soon began to wonder if Grau didn't have a second reason for bringing her into his office, though, because she already knew everything he was telling her. At last, her question was answered.

"The real reason I brought you and Storm out here was to meet you," Grau confessed. "I wanted to see how well you'd do in combat and I must say that you did incredibly well. Storm clearly knows what she's doing. If only she would accept my offer to transfer into this camp…" the old man trailed off almost longingly and Iris felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "Anyway, she has done a good job with you regardless of which camp she decided to stay with," he continued.

"But why me?" Iris asked. "Why did you want to meet me so badly?"

"Because I need you," Grau replied calmly. "I need you to fight in my camp."

"Are you asking me to serve you?" Iris recoiled, unreasonably angry. "Do you mean to tell me that you dragged my mentor and I all the way out here just to test us and now you have the gall to ask for my service!?"

"Yes," Grau was totally unruffled by her aggression.

"Then no!" the tiny brunette's purple eyes flashed angrily. The longer Grau remained calm, the more irritated she got."Absolutely not! There is no way in Denbar that I would join you! Maybe Storm had a reason for saying no?" she challenged.

"That she did," Grau chuckled, turning his head slightly to Venderwarp, who had been sitting beside him the whole time.

"She's an ungrateful little-" Venderwarp began, but Grau cleared his throat and Venderwarp shut up. The scowl did not leave his face, however.

"The reason Storm declined my offer has nothing to do with the proposal I am making to you," Grau said, facing Iris once again. "They were two separate matters and understand that I am not asking you to serve me fulltime."

"You aren't?" Iris, despite herself, was surprised and her expression changed to display this.

"No. When I requested your service, I meant from time to time," he promised. "I never intended you to serve me fulltime, unless you wish it?"

"No," Iris repeated stubbornly.

"As you wish," Grau waved a dismissive hand to show the tiny brunette that he bore her no ill will and not for the first time did Iris feel a strange wave of peace wash over her. "But can you accept my request for your aid when I should call upon you?" he asked next.

"I don't see why not," Iris replied, shrugging. It was a strange request, but not an uncommon one. Even though every soldier was sorted into a certain camp, there were obviously times when certain camps needed a bit of extra help. These missions could last long enough for a visiting soldier to require proper lodging within the camp they were visiting but everyone knew it was not an official transfer.

Iris still didn't understand why Grau had insisted upon asking her for help in this manner, she already knew that soldiers often visited over camps in order to help out, but she supposed it was to keep up his unpredictable yet steady reputation. As impossible as it was to understand Grau, he always won the game in the end. Or maybe "testing her mettle" just gave him something to do. After all, the Noctifer hiatus had been going on for about two months now. A simple phone call for help wouldn't have been as fun, though it would've been way easier and more logical.

"If you ever need my help, I'd be more than happy to come over," the tiny brunette repeated. "But not for fulltime!" she added.

"Not for fulltime," Grau echoed her with a solemn nod. "But you pledge your loyalty to me."

"I do," Iris promised, then the pair shook hands as Iris accepted Grau's proposal.

It was at that moment that Storm had entered the room.

"Ma'am!" genuine delight and relief filled Iris' core and she whipped around to face her mentor.

"Iris!" Storm had replied and Iris remembered feeling surprise and pride upon hearing the equally genuine note of relief in Storm's voice. Clearly, some dynamic had changed between the two and any bad blood was now just water under the bridge. Storm had been just as worried for Iris as Iris had been for Storm! It was a nice change of pace… Following a greeting between Storm and Iris and then a farewell between Storm and Iris and the Camp Steuben soldiers, the mentor-apprentice duo was free to go.

It was after all of this that Iris and Storm had returned to Camp Heath only to be swept up into the Camp Heath Hospital for Dr. Lockewood to examine them and for everyone else to interrogate them. Iris had told the truth during the recap, but she declined to tell the full truth. Another part of Grau's proposal had been for her silence and as suspicious as that was, she decided to agree to it just to see where it might lead. Besides, Grau had promised not to call her back too soon, so for now, Iris was home safe for the foreseeable future and that was enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: First off, sorry for the late update. I've been busy with school, but today was the last day so, with any luck, I'll be able to write more! Anyway, here, we get to see what really went on in all the times Storm was unconscious, but it's not that much clearer. Grau knows how to keep everything hidden, doesn't he? But at least we get to see a bit more of Iris' unexplained skill in combat. Maybe we'll find out why and how someday? You'll just have to read on to see…


	14. Growing Friendship

As time passed and things returned to normal, Iris' friendship with Storm continued to grow.

"Of course you'd be the one crazy enough to do that!" Storm exhaled as Iris told her yet another tale of her childhood. Since the duo was confined to their beds for a week straight, they had nothing else to do except talk, so they did. Or at least, Iris did. For those seven days, Iris "entertained" Storm with adventures of her youth. This most recent story was about the time Iris and her many, many cousins ended up exploring some empty old house on the block in hopes of finding something good inside. Iris had gotten stuck in the attic because the stairs collapsed not long after she crawled up them. Her solution to being stuck, instead of waiting for her cousins to help her back down, was to create a cloth rope from the old draperies in the attic and then just climb down from the attic window to a nearby bedroom window and be let in that way. Iris may have been naturally inclined to following the rules but there were moments when even she liked to get a little reckless for the fun of it.

"Well, surely you did stupid stuff when you were young too!" Iris replied with a laugh as Storm shook her head in disbelief at Iris.

"They were never that stupid," Storm replied.

"Tell me about it anyway!" Iris insisted, but Storm only shook her head. Iris pretended to huff angrily but nothing would change Storm's mind. She had never been one to talk about her past if she could help it. It just wasn't exactly a happy time. She would, however, tell Iris about some of the adventures she, Tempest and Gale had shared over their almost-decade-long friendship.

One particular adventure had sent them over to Camp Steuben to help eradicate some base-camp-like structure that the Noctifers were building halfway between Camp Steuben and their main nest. Storm, Gale and Tempest hadn't been the only ones on that particular mission, but they ended up being the ones to successfully blow up the new nest and it was all courtesy of Gale who panicked and threw the bomb early. He was supposed to have waited to drop it into the Noctifer's second nest but when he thought he saw one coming at him, he panicked and threw the thing. It landed right inside the nest's entry and blew it away. It jeopardized the whole mission just because it was an unplanned move but, by the quick thinking of Storm and Tempest, everyone was able to escape alive with their main objective complete.

"Of course, he'd be crazy enough to do that!" Iris chuckled once Storm finished the story and Storm echoed the noise. It was one of her fonder memories and one of the few she was willing to share.

What really solidified their growing friendship, however, was one talk that took place on their last day in the hospital. Dr. Lockewood had just finished telling the two that they would be free to go by tomorrow.

"Can you believe it?!" Iris exclaimed. "I can't believe we're finally getting out of here!"

"I can," Storm deadpanned. "It's been long enough!"

"Well, you're right, but it's still been nice," Iris replied, calming down slightly to admit that, while being stuck in a bed for a week straight wasn't fun, it hadn't been entirely unpleasant.

"Not as nice as getting back to training!" Storm argued.

"Oh, lighten up, Ma'am," Iris laughed again. It really was funny to think how much they'd grown as friends in the past week…

This thought crossed Storm's mind as well and she swallowed loudly before addressing Iris in a more serious tone.

"You know," she began. "You can drop the formalities."

"Formalities?" Iris echoed, laughter ceasing as she looked at Storm in genuine confused.

"I mean, you don't have to call me that anymore," Storm explained. For a moment, Iris continued to frown, but then it dawned on her.

"You mean I can start calling you Storm?" she asked, sounding excited. Storm nodded and Iris began to whoop. "Ha! I get to use your real name!" she declared, and then she made a point of using Storm's name every time she opened her mouth, whether she was addressing Storm or not.

"You know, I may just have to revoke my name again," Storm muttered as Iris finished using her name for a third time in one sentence.

"Sure you will, Storm! But let's be real, Storm, you liked me too much now to not let me call you Storm!" Iris grinned cheekily, earning a sigh and an eye-roll from her mentor. It seemed like such a trivial thing to enjoy and banter over, but both of them understood that Iris' pride at being allowed to use Storm's name ran deeper than simple triumph. Instead, being allowed to use Storm's name was kind of symbolic of how their relationship had changed and Iris was more than happy to brag about how she'd finally gotten Storm to warm up to her. Sure, it only took almost two months, but at least it happened and she liked to see her privileged of using Storm's name as a kind of trophy, silly as that was.

"Storm, Storm, Storm, Storm!" Iris muttered happily under her breath while Storm only rolled her eyes again

But Iris wasn't the only one making a new friend. Clover had also made a new friend and, according to her, he wasn't half bad…

"I didn't know that!" Iris cried when Clover told her the big news the very next day. It was the first time the two friends had shared a meal together since before Iris went on that Noctifer Nest quest. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"You were still recovering in the hospital," Clover replied. "I didn't want to tell you until you were out."

"But Dr. Lockewood herself said that the recovery wasn't going to be long or hard. You could've told me sooner!" Iris cried.

"I know, but still. You were attacked by Noctifers. I figured that you didn't need more excitement," Clover reasoned.

"Ok, ok, I understand that, but can you tell me who it is now?!" Iris pleaded, overlooking Clover's explanation as to why she hadn't told Iris about her new crush sooner. Clover laughed at Iris' impatience but she did concede.

"It's Peter Graham," Clover whispered, then she introduced Iris to the young man sitting across from her.

"Oh! You!" Iris' purple eyes lit up, surprised to learn that the boy who'd been sitting so calmly right beside her was the boy in question.

"Yes, me," he replied with a small smile. He leaned in a bit closer to Iris. "So it's true what Clover said," he muttered. "You do have purple eyes!"

"I was born this way," Iris replied, excitement dropping just a little bit as he, indirectly, asked her the infamous question.

"Oh, I know," he replied. "I just never got to see them before. We were always too busy."

"With what?" asked Iris as Peter squinted at her eyes.

"Oh! Peter and I actually met at the Camp Heath Hospital while you were recovering!" Clover explained. "He's training to be a camp doctor!"

"So he works with Dr. Lockewood?" Iris asked, turning to face Peter again.

"Well, I do work with her, but she isn't my official mentor," he replied. "I was only helping her and I needed to get my testosterone shots."

"Testosterone shots?" Iris echoed in genuine surprise. Peter only gave her a knowing smile, then it dawned on her.

"That was how we met," Clover repeated. "I had just finished visiting you when I ran into him, getting his shots. I'd never met such a crybaby!"

"Hey! Dr. Lockewood, herself, said that she'd accidently stuck me in the wrong place!" Peter complained indignantly. "And besides, it was my first time ever getting shots from anyone but my normal doctor!" he added, but Clover only laughed.

"So? What did you think?" Clover whispered to Iris later that night. It was the first time they were sleeping side by side in a week.

"I can see the appeal," Iris agreed. "He's quite handsome."

"Do you think I have a chance?" Clover asked. Even in the dark, Iris could see her dark blue eyes shine.

"He'd be a fool to not try," the tiny brunette replied. "But it's only been a week, so I'd give it some time. Keep it at a growing friendship for now."

"I know, I know," Clover sighed. She had always moved faster than Iris when it came to romance. Both of them had dated roughly the same number of people, but Clover had a keen eye for people and wasn't as slow as Iris when it came to making it official. "It's just hard to wait…"

"Well, I promise that when it happens, you and I can take him and Jason on double dates," Iris joked.

"Urgh, Jason. How unromantic!" Clover cringed. She may have made some peace with him after they both found out that Iris was in danger, but Clover still wasn't Jason's biggest fan.

"Oh come on," Iris chuckled, nudging Clover's arm playfully. "He's more romantic than you think."

"All he does his show off his intelligence!" Clover argued.

"You're in love with a dude training to be a doctor!" Iris retorted.

"Hmmm, touché," Clover grunted in defeat and Iris laughed triumphantly while Clover continued to pout.

"Come on, Clover," Iris pleaded gently. "I know Jason is a bit of a show off, but I don't think it's intentional. I think it's just because he is so genuinely smart that it's hard for him to be anything but. You know?"

"I guess," Clover grunted reluctantly.

In truth, she understood perfectly. Jason wasn't always displaying his intelligence in order to show off, the intelligence was just so wired into him that it came naturally and spouting random trivia facts was all he knew. But that was part of the reason Clover liked Peter and not Jason. Even though the two boys were equally smart, Peter knew how to carry on a conversation without slipping into some kind of technical jargon that left the average person in the dust. Jason lacked that skill and Clover almost felt bad for him. It couldn't have been easy being so smart that he was practically self-isolating without meaning to be. Maybe that was why he loved Iris so much. She didn't mind his social awkwardness and didn't find his fun facts annoying. She was one of the few people he didn't drive away because she was one of the few people who could tolerate him. That was kind of sad, but they really were a cute couple and, if Clover's hopes came true, she and Peter would follow suit in time.

But speaking of Jason, a week after Iris and Storm had been released from their recovery period, he became a full soldier. It usually took an apprentice six months to become a full soldier and, on the last day of every month, a soldier ceremony was held wherein every apprentice who had trained six months was given their official status as a Denbar soldier. It was the end of October, that meant it was time for another ceremony. This time, it was Jason's, him having joined Camp Heath in May where Clover and Iris had joined in September. They still had four months, their ceremony being at the end of February.

"Are you ready for this?" Iris asked her boyfriend on that last day of October.

"You know it!" he grinned proudly, raising his chin. He looked so adorable that Iris couldn't stifle a laugh. As intelligent and macho was he was, the childish soul inside of Jason was very evident and Iris loved him for it.

"I'm proud of you," she told him, kissing his cheek.

"I'm proud of me too!" he agreed laughingly, then he tilted Iris' chin up and kissed her on the lips. Iris began to giggle again, a giddy whirl filling her entire being as she returned the kiss. The honeymoon phase had not yet faded for Iris.

That evening, at the end of dinner, the soldier ceremony began.

"Ahem!" Captain cleared his throat and clapped his large hands. The entire dining hall fell silent. Captain smiled warmly at them all before rising slowly. "As you all know, our soldier ceremony is starting!" he declared. "I want you to come up here when your name is called and do not sit down until every single one of you has come up and been recognized for your achievements!" Captain cocked his head and, like always, Maxim dutifully provided him with a list before take his place a couple feet away from Captain, that solemn expression ever on his face. After that, Captain took the list and read off every name and as the apprentice who was called walked up over to where Captain stood at the head of the hall. Jason was called at about the halfway mark and Iris squeezed his hand before he went up. He smiled warmly at her before winking quickly.

Several more names were called and soon, roughly 15 apprentice stood at the front of the hall between Captain and Maxim.

"You have trained hard to understand the ways of our noble army and I commend you all as proper soldiers in your turn. Now I must ask, do you promise to serve and protect this country even at the cost of your life?" Captain addressed the apprentices. He never looked quite so serious as in moments like this. He took the soldier ceremony very seriously.

"I do," 15 solemn voices echoed their leader.

"Then, in the name of Denbar, I give you your proper title," Captain told the apprentices, voice echoing the hall despite its softness. "From this moment on you will be known as full soldiers. Denbar honors your virtues and I welcome to you as a full soldier of Camp Heath!"

A massive round of cheers and congratulations followed as Captain finished his customary speech. He shook hands with each of his new soldiers, going down the line and bowing his head to them both. They all bowed back and once Captain reached Maxim, he allowed all of the newly made soldiers return to their seats, roaring and clapping surrounding them as they dispersed back to their tables.

"WOO HOO!" Iris was shouting herself silly as Jason sat back down beside her, chin still raised high in the air. And for once, even Clover looked happy, slapping the table and whistling. There was just something so beautiful and wonderful about the soldier ceremony that it was impossible to not cheer when it happened. The joy and pride was palpable and infectious. The whole room looked ecstatic. Captain was grinning once more now that the serious aspect of the ceremony was over. Even Storm was smiling from her place beside Tempest and Gale. Even Maxim was smiling, reclining in his seat with a satisfied expression on his face. It was a wonderful night, evening training cut back by an hour for the soldier ceremony and even though curfew was still 11:00, eyes were open much later as there were cabin shifts.

"I'm going to miss you," Iris pretended to pout as Jason packed his bags to move into the soldier cabin.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to join me in four months… Hopefully," Jason grinned. Iris elbowed him but she laughed and, together, they carried Jason's bags out of the apprentice cabin.

"I'm trusting you to stay faithful," the tiny brunette warned the taller brunette with a teasing smile.

"Soldier's honor!" Jason promised, saluting her smartly. Iris rolled her purple eyes and nudged him again.

"Sweet dreams," she told him as he entered his new bunking.

"If you're in them, they will be," he responded and, again, Iris was blown away by his one-liners. She thought they were cute, albeit a little cheesy. She could only laugh as he saluted her one last time before leaving her for the night.

"You ok, Iris?" Clover asked the tiny brunette as she returned to the apprentice cabin.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Iris asked back.

"Well, I figured that, with Jason gone, you'd be lonely," Clover replied.

"Not at all," Iris promised. "I'm happy for him! Besides, I know his empty bed will be full by tomorrow and it's not like we can't hang out anymore," she added with a smile. "I won't be lonely without him here."

"Well, I know I'd be lonely without Ms. Clover," Peter grinned, chest more pronounced now that he'd removed his binder for the night.

"Hey now, she was mine first!" Iris teased the man. "You can't go stealing her from me!"

"Well, if you wanted her, you should've struck the iron while it was hot!" Peter grinned.

"Don't worry, we tried," Clover said. "It just didn't work out…" she and Iris exchanged wry smiles.

"Wait, you two actually dated?" Peter asked, sitting up slightly. Of course he'd heard the jokes and rumors and theories about Iris and Clover being lovers, but he didn't think they were true because neither Iris nor Clover ever gave any indication that they were true.

"Oh, yes, Peter! Absolutely yes! They were totally true!" Iris vowed. "Clover and I were madly in love in our younger days and we had a glorious tryst! We were the most passionate lesbian lovers in all of Denbar!"

"The two of us were so romantic and we slept together every night!" Clover agreed, getting out of bed and pretending to waltz with Iris. The longer they continued to extol their past romance, the more Peter realized that they were joking.

"So what tore you two apart, then?" he asked, indulging their joke.

"Iris met someone hotter!" Clover pretended to look wounded, putting a hand over her heart and finally pulling out of Iris' arms.

"Don't worry," Iris shrugged, ceasing the waltz as well. "You found someone too," she cast a sideways glance at Peter and Clover blushed.

"What a tragic ending to such a beautiful love story," Peter joked, missing Iris' sideways glance.

"Ours was a doomed love!" Iris agreed, finally hopping into bed.

"But a beautiful and true one," the ginger reminded Iris as she climbed into her own bed.

But despite Jason being made a proper soldier and Clover's growing friendship with Peter, not much else changed for Iris. There were still no Noctifers and Grau had yet to call Iris back over to Camp Steuben. It was nice, but it was unexpected. Not for the first time was war turning out to be the total opposite of what Iris had expected. She'd expected it to be a long and grueling battle that never ended but, so far, it was so mundane and routine that it felt no different than the life she used to lead.

"Come on, Iris!" Storm's shout roused Iris from her thoughts.

"I know, I know! I've got to go faster!" the tiny brunette laughed, then she picked up her speed. She was doing much better, physically and emotionally. The growing friendship with Storm was allowing her to really enjoy her time at Camp Heath and ever since her quest at Camp Steuben, she'd found her physical abilities to be far better than what they used to be.

"You'd better believe you do!" Storm snapped, but there was no real hostility in her voice. She and Iris were busy scaling trees again and Iris was swinging from branch to branch like a monkey while Storm preferred leaping around like a leopard. They were trying to see who could finish one of the laps first and even though the odds were high that it would be Storm, Iris was still putting up a fight. Earning Storm's friendship had rejuvenated Iris' desire to do well here and she wasn't just getting by out of spite anymore.

But Iris wasn't the only one who was benefitting from this growing friendship. Storm was too, though she was still reluctant to admit it.

"Awww, she's grown on you!" Gale smirked at his friend when he caught her staring at Iris over dinner.

"No she hasn't," Storm replied, still staring at Iris. Gale exchanged a smirk with his wife.

"Sure you have," the couple cooed in unison.

"Shut up," Storm replied. "I will never understand why you were so bent on me keeping Iris."

"Because it was high time that you found yourself a new friend instead of just skulking around," Tempest reminded her.

"But why Iris?" Storm pressed. Tempest and Gale suddenly were unable to meet Storm's eyes. She raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Well, it was maybe because we had a bet with Maxim?" Gale finally asked, his smirk becoming a sheepish smile.

"You placed a bet with Maxim?!" Storm enunciated each word, snickering. She turned an eye to the camp deputy and started snickering all the harder. She and Maxim had a less than friendly relationship so hearing that Maxim did entertain human vices, such as gambling, was hilarious.

"Yeah, we bet that you'd keep Iris while he bet you wouldn't," Gale explained.

"You two are insane," Storm decided, still snickering. "And Tempest, aren't you supposed to be the nature one? I didn't know you gambled!"

"I don't!" Tempest defended. Storm only raised her eyebrows again. "Ok, so maybe I had a small bit of money in the pool," the lithe brunette confessed. "But it wasn't just for the bet!"

"It wasn't?" Gale asked, sounding genuinely surprised. Tempest shot him a glare and Gale quickly amended his statement. "I mean, of course! Of course it wasn't just for the bet! We wanted you to be happy, Storm!"

"Sure," Storm rolled her eyes. "And I was happy. I didn't need an apprentice to make things better, no matter what Captain or anyone else might've said. I wish you guys would understand that."

"Of course we do," Tempest promised gently. "I know that some people do draw their strength from being alone and can find true happiness in other ways, but you always just seemed so… uninterested in life. We wanted to see you actually enjoying it."

"So you decided that an apprentice was the best course of action?" Storm couldn't stop a laugh as she shook her head.

"Well, we weren't sure what else to do," Gale explained. "We decided that maybe a new person could give you a new perspective on life."

"That's questionable," Storm deadpanned.

"You pushed her too hard," Tempest defended Iris. "The only reason she ever seemed bad to you was because you were pushing her way too hard!" Storm opened her mouth but Tempest cut her off. "I know that it's war and we really don't have time to go slow, but even Captain and Maxim thought you were being too hard on the girl."

"Well, she's doing better now so it's a moot point either way," Storm reminded Tempest.

"Yeah, that's because she's grown on you!" Gale pointed out gleefully, bringing them back to where their discussion had started. Storm groaned in frustration while Tempest nodded in agreement with her husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So here we go, getting to see more peaceful life in the army passing by and it seems that Iris' relationship with Storm is finally solid and her relationship with Jason is equally steady, but looky here! Clover's got herself a guy too! Ain't he a sweet fella? We'll see how she gets on with him as time gets on with all of them together.


	15. Kidnapped

Life continued on in this peaceful pattern until Iris was in her fifth month of training. Then, it happened. Right in the middle of the night, while everyone was sound asleep, it happened. Storm's last memory of Camp Heath was of her bed, then suddenly, she was all alone in the dark in some little cave, chained to a little metal chair.

"What the-?! What is the meaning of this?!" the woman shouted, thrashing violently in anger and fear. She had been kidnapped.

Storm continued to bellow and tug viciously at her chains for a good while more. When no one came to answer her, however, and the chain refused to yield even a little, Storm surrendered reluctantly and stopped trying to escape. She fell silent again and shifted her focus to study the cave she was in, trying to figure out where she was or if there might be anything of value to her here.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" a voice asked. Storm jumped in surprise and she looked wildly around, but saw no one.

"Who's there?!" she demanded.

"Behind you!" the voice singsonged. Storm tried to turn around but the chains that bound her to the chair were too tight. "Allow me," the voice chuckled at Storm's pathetic attempts to turn around. The person that stepped around the corner looked to be in her early 20s and she had wild, shaggy hair that looked to be several shades of blond. Storm wasn't sure which shade had been her original. She had tan skin and a lithe body. She looked almost like Iris in that respect, but in Storm's opinion, Iris was much more groomed than this wild girl.

"Who are you?" Storm growled, narrowing her eyes as the girl came around the chair until they were face to face.

"Doesn't matter," the girl replied.

"You'd better have an amazing explanation for this!" the blond threatened.

"I do," the girl promised. "But it's not for you to hear."

"How in Denbar did you even smuggle me in here?! And how long have you been watching me?!" Storm continued to demand. "Where am I!?"

"Doesn't matter. And, about five minutes! And that's on a need-to-know-basis!" the girl replied cheerfully. Storm snarled at her again, enraged.

The two continued to banter back and forth until Storm got sick of the vague answers.

"Can you at least tell me how long you intend on keeping me here?!" Storm screamed in frustration.

"Oh, maybe a month tops," the girl shrugged.

"A month?! Why in the name of Denbar are you doing this?!" Storm demanded, but still no answer was given. Instead, the girl only walked behind Storm once more, feet receding to what must've been the cave's entrance. Suddenly, the sound of the feet stopped and Storm was left alone again, cursing away into the darkness, but there was no one there to hear it.

For three days, nobody at Camp Heath was put off by Storm's disappearance. Her kidnapper had forged a letter, making it sound like she was doing something secret back in Denbar on Chief's orders.

"That girl will be the death of me!" Captain sighed when Storm didn't show for breakfast that morning after she'd been kidnapped.

"I wish Chief had consulted us first!" Maxim agreed with a huff. "It's terribly inconvenient for all of us to just whisk a soldier away!"

"That will mean someone else will have to take care of Iris until she gets back," Captain added.

"Ah! You're right!" Maxim slapped his forehead. Then he shook his head angrily. "Have you ever met a more troublesome and careless soldier than Storm?!" he asked in anger.

"Now, now, Maxim. She did say that Chief demanded for this all to be secret," Captain reminded him.

"I suppose so," Maxim grunted. "Now who are you going to have look after Iris?"

"Gale or Tempest, since they were closest to Storm," Captain answered. Then he turned his head to the table at which Tempest and Gale sat.

After breakfast, Captain approached them just like he'd suggested to Maxim.

"Tempest! Gale!" he cried. Two heads turned in his direction. "As you know, Storm has gone on some top secret mission, so I need one of you to look after Iris until she gets back!" he said.

"Sure," Tempest replied. "But if you don't mind, do you think we could train her together?"

"If you want," Captain agreed, then he gestured over to Iris who was looking around in confusion because she couldn't find Storm. The three soldiers watching her smiled sympathetically before two of them walked over to where she sat.

"Hey Iris," Gale greeted the apprentice first.

"Oh, hello, Gale!" Iris smiled up at him. "Do you know where Storm is?"

"She's away on some fancy-shmancy mission," the man replied. "That means Tempest and I get to be your new nannies until she returns."

"Oh," Iris' eyebrows furrowed with unhappiness.

"Ouch," Tempest pretended that Iris' lackluster remark had wounded her.

"Oh! I didn't mean it like that!" Iris promised quickly, worried that she might've just offended the couple.

"Don't worry, we know," Gale promised with a laugh. "I said that same thing when we learned that she was going away."

"Well, there's no point in moping about it," Tempest decided. "So if you're ready, Iris, let's get training!"

During lunch on the third day of Storm's absence, though, Iris finally began to genuinely worry.

"Three days and absolutely nothing!" she muttered. "No calls, texts, letters, emails or messengers! I mean, you think that she could've at least sent a report or something!" the tiny apprentice continued to fret over her mentor's absence.

"Oh, don't worry Iris, it may just be that Chief needs her to be quiet just in case there are any open ears," Clover tried to console the brunette.

"But Denbar hasn't seen any real Noctifers in like five months!" the brunette cried. "Ummm, minus the ones Storm and I fought," she added.

"Well maybe that's just it!" Peter chimed in. "Maybe Chief is worried that the hiatus is the Noctifers' way to taking time to gather intelligence for their next attack so Chief wants to keep everything on the down low, you know?"

"Maybe," Iris grunted noncommittally. It was clear that, despite the logic behind Clover and Peter's observations, Iris still wasn't content. She supposed that Storm's sudden disappearance just hurt because it made it feel like Storm was keeping secrets from her and even though Storm had every right to do that, that didn't make it any easier to swallow. In addition, the real reason Iris was so worried was because she could physically feel that something wasn't right, but how could she tell anyone? The old "gut feeling" thing wasn't exactly the most solid of reasons to panic.

"Look, Storm's got to come home eventually, right?" a new voice joined their conversation. It was Jason. Despite herself, Iris smiled as he sat down beside her and kissed her cheek. "If she doesn't, we can find her ourselves and hold her hostage for answers," he promised.

"If by 'we' you mean you, that sounds like a great idea," Iris chuckled.

"What? No, I meant that it would be the four of us!" Jason cried.

"No way!" Clover and Peter cried in unison. "Even the whole camp together wouldn't be able to subdue her so there's no way we'll be helping!"

"What they said," Iris agreed and Jason pretended to cross his arms and pout in frustration.

"Well there's no way I'm going to try and take her down alone!" he said.

"Smart man," Peter chuckled.

"Then we'll just have to be content to wait until Chief sends her back," Jason replied and Iris sighed unhappily again.

But come nightfall, Iris could wait no longer. Despite Jason's earlier words over lunch, Iris couldn't help but feel like she ought to go looking for Storm after all. Something just wasn't right…

"Come on, we've got to look for her!" Iris begged her temporary mentors as they all left the dining hall.

"No, Iris," Tempest replied slowly, like she was talking to a baby. "We must just stay here and trust what Storm's doing. She'll call us when she's ready!" Iris continued to protest about what a bad idea that was, but Gale agreed with his wife.

"Even if something's wrong, there's nothing we can do and certainly nothing you can do," he insisted firmly.

"Or will do," Tempest chimed in while Iris let out a whiny sigh.

"Something's wrong! I can feel it in my bones! We need to help her! Even if we have no idea where she is, something's wrong and we need to help! I mean, what if she'd been kidnapped?!" the purple-eyed girl tried one last time, but Tempest and Gale continued to deny Iris.

Back at the cabins, Iris tried to persuade Clover, Jason and Peter along but they, like Gale and Tempest, were just as skeptical.

"Look, Iris, it's fantastic that you've grown to care for Storm so much, but come on! This is getting a bit silly!" Jason chided her. Iris gave him a hopeless expression that spoke volumes of how she felt at his blunt dismissal of her concerns.

"Since when did you become all responsible and prim and proper?" the tiny brunette complained.

"Since I was made a soldier!" the boy replied, puffing out his chest. It was clear that despite his playful nature, the responsibility and honor that followed his soldier ceremony was finally starting to take hold of him. That wasn't to say he had no sense of humor, but Iris had noted a decrease in his playful and childish behavior ever since he became a soldier. It was understandable, but Iris still missed the boy who would've jumped for joy at the idea of going on some secret rescue mission.

"We're just trying to look out for you," Clover pleaded as Iris and Jason continued to glare daggers at each other. Iris' scowl faded and her shoulders slumped in defeat. As angry as she was at the lack of belief from anyone, she knew Clover was right.

"I know," she promised. "And I swear I won't do anything stupid," she added, but she could feel three pairs of disbelieving eyes bearing down at her as she stared sadly out one of the cabin's windows, overlooking the blackened landscape of Camp Heath.

Later that night, Iris woke up to the sensation of someone shaking her.

"Hmmm, urghhhh, what?" she moaned, but she received no verbal reply. Instead, the stranger continued to shake Iris until she finally sat up. "Ok! Fine! What? I'm up!" she rasped, sitting up, purple eyes still shut. The shaking had stopped, but still no one was there to answer her. She rubbed her eyes before finally prying them open. The room was entirely still, every bed occupied with someone buried under the sheets and lost in sleep. What? Iris grew a little more alert, purple eyes piercing the darkness as she tried to figure out who it was that had awoken her. When she shifted her body to look to the other side of the cabin, Iris heard something rustle and it sounded more like paper than blanket. Confused, the girl looked down. There, sitting in her lap, was a letter. What?

10 minutes later, Iris was subway-bound to Camp Steuben. That letter had been from Grau, but this time, it was far less vague and far more menacing than the first letter. In short, it stated that Grau needed her help with something and it was in everybody's best interest that she say yes. But if that wasn't bad enough, the note finished with Grau admitting that it wasn't going to be a pleasant job so, in order to keep her from running off halfway through, he'd kidnapped Storm and was pretty much holding her over Iris' head as a ransom. The letter promised Storm would remain unharmed as long as Iris helped out and the moment the mission was over, both of them would be free to go but, in the interval, Iris had best not tell anyone about this. Suffice to say, such a letter had terrified the purple-eyed apprentice into action at once, all thoughts of sleep fleeing her mind as she leapt out of her bed and, as quickly and quietly as possible, readied herself for combat before running to the subway.

"I knew it!" Iris cursed, the letter in the knapsack she carried. "I knew something was wrong! I knew she'd been kidnapped!" she banged her head against her subway cart wall several times as she angrily cursed at herself, Gale, Tempest, Clover, Jason Captain, Grau and anyone else who was either responsible or unable to help. Iris had no clue what Grau wanted from her or what she was planning on doing in response, but she knew she had to do something. She could only hope she would reach her mentor in time…

When Iris arrived at Camp Steuben two hours after fleeing from Camp Heath, it was still the middle of the night but the girl felt no more tired than she had after she first read Grau's ransom note. She jumped out of the subway as soon as it stopped and raced to the surface world, fully intending upon literally kicking down the door to Grau's office and demanding answers. Before she could reach his private building, however, Iris ran into another Camp Steuben soldier. In the back of her memory, she thought she could remember a face, but no name came to her. This man was relatively round and he had almost no hair. His eyes were a bright, pale gray.

"Iris Long!" the soldier greeted her as she drew near. Iris had wanted to keep going but, after he saw her, she knew she had to stop.

"That's me," she answered, coming to a halt, but wariness was evident in her words and posture.

"I'm Liam Venderwarp," he said with a regal bow.

"Hello," Iris cautiously returned the greeting.

"There's another way for you to get Storm back instead of trying to deal with Grau!" he said.

"What?" Iris asked, wariness doubling. "How did you know about that?"

"I'm an old friend of hers," Venderwarp replied. "We met a few years back and I remember seeing her being dragged back in here just a few days ago. I imagine you're looking for her now?" he asked.

"I am," Iris replied, swallowing nervously.

"Good. I can help you get her back. Just follow me," Venderwarp whispered, then he gestured for Iris to follow him. She knew it was a dangerous idea to just follow a strange man away in the middle of the night, especially when he might be a kidnapper, but Iris had no other ideas except facing Grau and that wasn't a great idea either. So the tiny brunette steeled her nerves and followed Venderwarp towards the east half of camp towards a rather foreboding mountain several leagues away. She hoped she hadn't just signed her life away…

After reaching the base of the mountain, Venderwarp revealed that he'd dug a section of it out, creating a secret chamber within the mountain itself. Inside was a tiny bunker, filled with 30 odd soldiers all sound asleep.

"Wow," Iris breathed as Venderwarp led her inside. "What is this place?"

"It's a secret bunker," Venderwarp replied. "It's for the Camp Steuben Rebellion."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So, things are moving fast! Storm has been kidnapped by Grau and Iris has gone to rescue her only for Venderwarp, a new character, to interceded and say that, in order to save Storm, Iris just might have to help him overthrow Grau. So, how long has this rebellion been brewing? And was a preemptive strike against Venderwarp's rebellion the reason Grau called Iris in? Or was it something else entirely, but equally sinister? Read on and find out!


	16. Gift

"Rebellion?!" Iris exclaimed as she and Venderwarp stepped inside the tiny mountain bunker. When a few of the soldiers stirred, however, she quickly hushed herself. "Rebellion?" she repeated, this time far softer.

"Yes," Venderwarp nodded. "Rebellion…"

What ensued was Venderwarp carefully explaining to Iris that Grau, as majestic and benevolent as he pretended to be, was actually quite evil. And Venderwarp wasn't just referring to his general creepiness or mystery either, Venderwarp was referring to actual wicked deeds that the Camp Steuben leader had committed. That was when Iris recognized this man. He'd been with her and Grau when Grau first tried to recruit her.

"He's a wolf in sheep's clothing!" Venderwarp complained.

"If you can call someone so old and ugly a sheep in the first place," Iris grunted and Venderwarp chuckled despite the seriousness of the issue.

"You are right," he agreed. "But this isn't just a joke. He really has gone too far and I've been planning on overthrowing him since just after you arrived here at camp about four months ago. Is that right?" he paused to check.

"Yeah, four months," Iris nodded. "And I'm assuming this is the army you've amassed?" she gestured to the sleeping soldiers.

"It is," Venderwarp nodded. "And I know it doesn't look like much, but that's why I need you!"

"Don't tell me you're going to ask me to join your rebellion?" Iris guessed.

"Bingo," Venderwarp replied.

"But why me? What good am I? You said so yourself that I've only been in the army for four months! I don't know how to fight!" Iris protested.

"The Noctifer stampede begs to differ," Venderwarp reminded the tiny brunette.

"Ok. But excluding that!" Iris waved her hand dismissively. "All those times were because of Storm! She was the one who saved me!"

"But that's part of the reason why I need you!" Venderwarp encouraged. "You have to help me rescue Storm!"

As Venderwarp said this, Iris began to see the logic behind his plan. Of course Grau would kidnap Storm to get to Iris and of course Venderwarp would ask her to help him rescue her, and the camp as a whole, from Grau. Perhaps to some, it would make more sense if Venderwarp just rescued Storm himself, but Camp Steuben soldiers had a thing for killing two birds with one stone and in this case, Venderwarp was rescuing a comrade while also finding himself a new one to help with the rebellion at the same time! But then something else occurred to Iris…

"You said that was part of the reason you brought me here," she began. "What was the other part?"

"Follow me," Venderwarp replied with a sly smile and not for the first time did Iris felt her internal defense systems go off, but follow she did.

The pair returned to the outside where two other soldiers stood waiting.

"These would be Vesper Sprite and Connor Whittaker," Venderwarp introduced.

"Hey," they greeted Iris casually.

"Hello," Iris replied, a little shy, but she still studied them closely. Vesper was a girl who shared her body type and skin color but, aside from that, they were incredibly different. For one, Vesper had wild hair. Iris' was curly, but contained. Vesper's, however, stuck up and slicked back wherever it pleased and it was multiple shades of blond. Iris' hair was a simple, uniformed brown. In addition, Vesper wore relatively casual clothes, jeans and a ripped shirt, but it made sense that Iris would be more formally dressed because she'd assumed she'd be doing some fighting. The last thing that Iris noted about Vesper that stood out the most, however, was none of these features. Instead, it was her eyes. They were almost amber. They were a color that could pass as being light brown, but the longer Iris looked into them, the more orange they seemed.

"Why are your eyes amber?" Iris asked as a reflex before she could stop herself. She mentally kicked herself for asking.

"I was born this way," the girl replied cheekily and Iris felt incredibly strange about this sudden role-reversal. All her life, she'd never been the one to ask, but here she stood, finally uttering that question she, herself, used to hate so much. Did this make her a hypocrite for asking now?

Then the soldier introduced as Connor stepped forward. He was relatively lanky and had short bronze hair but, like with Vesper, the thing that stood out about him was his eyes. They were, like Vesper's, an off-shade of a normal color. They were a kind of pale, limey green. They could easily pass as green or hazel if one didn't look too close for too long, but that was exactly what Iris did and it seemed that the longer she stared at those limey orbs, the more green-yellow they seemed to be. For a moment, she even chanced a glance at Venderwarp and realized that his gray eyes looked an awful lot more like silver than gray. Seeing Iris' confused expression, Connor and Vesper began to laugh but Venderwarp only gave her a mysterious, mischievous smile and explained.

According to Venderwarp, following the first Noctifer War over 200 years ago, when the alien ship was sent back to where it had come from, it ended up messing with the planet's atmosphere. It wasn't a big problem, but it lasted just long enough to allow some solar radiation, mixed with whatever was radiating off of the Noctifer ship, to penetrate the planet and a few gene pools of people near the launch site. From then on, all those infected by the temporary radiation ended up suffering a strange mutation that changed two things about them. The first was the fact that each of them now had a special, individualized ability. It was an internal manifestation of their mutated gene pool. The second was the fact that each of them now had a special eye color. An external manifestation from the radiation. And those genes were there to last and even though the odds were rare that offspring would end up with the mutated genes, it still did happen occasionally and when it happened, it resulted in some very impressive humans. Some even began to say that they were gifted and their special abilities were formally known as Gifts.

"Gifts?" Iris echoed softly, almost in disbelief at what she was hearing. It just sounded so impossibly fantastical that she wasn't sure if she believed Venderwarp, but he looked so serious and even Vesper and Conner wore similarly formal expressions so it was hard to disbelieve them. In addition, the story lined up with why Iris, and these three Camp Steuben soldiers, all had such strange eye colors. But what about the Gifts?

"Allow us to demonstrate," Venderwarp nodded, then he gestured to Conner. Conner grinned proudly before raising his arms in a motion that looked like he was gesturing for someone to stand up. For a moment, nothing happened, but right when Iris considered asking what exactly was happening, the ground began to rumble softly and a few cracks appeared under Iris' feet. The girl jumped back in surprise. Then, from the cracks, several plants and vines sprung up. Iris' jaw dropped as she looked back up at Conner and then her surprise doubled when she realized that his green eyes were glowing. Just like a light bulb, Conner's eyes were literally glowing green and emitting soft rays of light as more and more plants sprung up from the crack between him and Iris until a little garden had formed, plants and vines and flowers intertwined by leaves and branches.

As soon as the display was over, Iris jerked her head over to Venderwarp and Vesper, something akin to desperation in her own purple eyes. Venderwarp and Vesper both exchanged sly glances before Vesper stepped forward and reached out an open palm. Just as with Conner's special power, his Gift, it took a moment for something to happen, but when it did, Iris was beyond astounded. A little ball of pure light sprung up from Vesper's palm and then a few more followed the first and they began to dance around her and Iris before forming into one single beam. When Iris looked into her eyes, her amber orbs were glowing just as intensely as the beam of light emitting from her hand.

"And you?" Iris asked as she turned to Venderwarp.

"Do you remember where the subway door is?" he replied. Iris nodded mutely. "Then take my arm." Suddenly, Vesper, Conner and the mountain were gone and, instead, Iris stood atop a wooden slab. The subway door.

"Teleportation!" she gasped and she saw Venderwarp wink a glowing silver eye before everything vanished again. When her sight returned, as had

Vesper, Conner and the mountain. No. Freaking. Way.

"So what is my Gift?!" Iris pleaded, practically dancing around in awe as she finally began to realize how real all of this was.

"Well, we aren't quite sure yet," Venderwarp confessed. "You are new here, after all, and haven't had time to figure it out."

"Is there a way we can figure it out, then?" Iris pleaded again, wanting to know what her Gift was more than anything else.

"Well, even though we aren't quite sure, we actually did try and figure it out, just a couple months ago, actually," Venderwarp said and suddenly, it hit her. Iris remembered the fighting and panicking, she remembered her miraculous survival and subsequent miraculous recovery. She remembered being able to hold her own against several Noctifers and save Storm and she remembered how quickly she'd healed and how she hadn't received any injuries too severe despite being in a battle for her life. Venderwarp nodded, as though he were reading her mind.

"Spot on, Iris, that was a test from Grau," he said. "Grau set you up from the very beginning because he knew what you were and he wanted to know what you could do!"

"So what did he find?" Iris choked out. It disturbed her to think that Grau had been keeping a closer eye on her than she first believed, but figuring out her Gift was still her top priority, so she was willing to overlook this stalker behavior, at least temporarily.

"Like I said, we aren't entirely sure," Venderwarp reminded her.

"But you said you had an inkling!" Iris cried impatiently.

"We do," Venderwarp promised. "It just isn't the most pleasant of Gifts."

"What is it?!" Iris was slowly losing control.

"The Gift of decay."

After about five solid minutes of Iris just trying to understand what in Denbar was happening, Iris was finally able to grasp at a few straws. She understood the concept of the Gifted well enough and she understood the origin story, it was just so foreign to her to think that she was one of them. In addition, she was still trying to wrap her head around her own Gift. Venderwarp had explained it as best she could, but it was still somewhat shady. From what it sounded like, Iris had the ability to cause anything she wanted to decay, whether it was living or not didn't matter.

For example, by touching Conner's garden and focusing on the image of it wilting away, she was able to kill off a few flowers. She was also able to cause a pebble to crumble to dust just by holding it in an open palm. As far as she knew, it wasn't a reversible process and whatever she chose to decay would stay destroyed. It really was a gruesome power but, since Iris had only just started using it, it wasn't very strong. Just draining a few fruits and flowers and a small stone was enough to tire her out so there was no danger in her accidently killing a human. Besides, the decay took time, so it wasn't like the rock and flowers just collapsed. She could've stopped that at any age of decay and left them there.

Then, as Iris thought about her Gift, she began to realize what sense it made. As she thought back to her battle at the Noctifer Nest, she remembered when that Noctifer had grabbed a hold of her ankle. Even though it had been careful not to hurt her as it dragged her away, maybe the reason she was able to fight it off for as long as she did was because of her Gift of decaying. Maybe, without even realizing it, her immense panic had granted her the ability to decay part of the Noctifer's mouth so that it couldn't hold her as well as it normally would have. It would explain why Storm had been able to rescue her from the Noctifer's jaws while also contending with the other few Noctifers that were still alive and attacking. It was a strange thought but nothing else made sense. So Iris finally came to terms with it. She was a Gifted, pure and simple, and her Gift was the ability to make things decay on sheer willpower alone. As gruesome as it was, it was her Gift.

"So you called me here to help you overthrow Grau because you knew I had decaying powers?" Iris asked once she was finally able to accept what she was and rationalize why Venderwarp would be interested in her.

"Yes," Venderwarp confessed. "But believe me that this has to be done!" he pleaded. "Like I said before, Grau is evil. Maybe you think me cruel and conniving for calling you in, but keep in mind that this is the man who kidnapped your mentor and, realize, that it was he who knew you were a Gifted. Think about his proposal to you when you first met. What does that tell you about him?"

"Hmmm," Iris nodded thoughtfully. Venderwarp had made a good point again. Iris now knew that Grau had only asked to meet her because of her Gift and then he had asked her to serve him whenever he needed. Clearly, this was a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it.

"Bingo," Venderwarp repeated as he saw grim understanding flicker through Iris' purple eyes. "We need this rebellion so we can get rid of his sorry, cowardly, pathetic and power-hungry behind. If we wait, he'll amass more and more Gifted until he makes himself the ruler of Denbar!"

"How can I help?" asked Iris and she was dead serious when she promised her service to Venderwarp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So now you know. Iris' eyes are purple not just because she's a special snowflake or a main character in a teenager's YA novel. She is honestly not even a regular human. In essence, she's a mutant. Now she knows what she can do and now she's got a mission, but she's still so new to the whole Gifted thing, who knows if she'll be of any use in a battle against someone like Grau? Because hey, if Grau knows about the Gifted, he probably knows exactly how to subdue them… Will this rebellion even be worth it? Read on to find out!


	17. Double Cross

For the next week, Iris trained under Venderwarp, honing her decaying power as Vesper and Conner worked on their light and plant Gifts. Venderwarp's rebellion was ready, but he wanted to train the Gifted for just a bit longer so that they stood a better chance against Grau when the day came that they actually dared to launch their big attack. During that week of preparation, Iris never forgot about Storm and often tried to look for her whenever there was time, but Venderwarp continually rebuked her.

"I know you miss her," he said. "And I do too. As an old friend, it hurts me to imagine Grau tormenting her to get to you, but you can't rush in blindly to save her or you'll doom her even more," the chubby man patted Iris' back consolingly but Iris could only sigh unhappily.

"I know you're right," she said. "But I still miss her. Can we practice some more?" she turned to him with unhappy purple eyes and he understood her silent question. Training would take her mind off of Storm and would give her a sense of accomplishment until something could actually be done. Venderwarp nodded and led her back over to the base of the mountain on the side facing away from camp.

"Let's have at it," he said, and Iris heaved one last tired sigh before jumping into training head first.

As the days passed, Iris still wasn't sure what to make of her other two companions. Conner was a lithe man, somewhere between child and adult, but he held himself with so much class and composure. Every stride he took indicated pride and power and even though he didn't look too old, between Iris and Storm's age, he walked around with the prim properness of someone half a century older. He had a clean-shaven face and short, cropped brown hair that was slicked obediently against his smooth face. His voice was always soft, smooth and steady, but Iris was pretty sure that half of the things that came out of his mouth weren't true.

Vesper, meanwhile, was Conner's perfect opposite. She was small and very childish, both in appearance and temper. She was a lot more careless and a lot less classy. Where Conner would stride, she would skip or hop or dart and she had a very wild, grungy appearance, but it suited her. In addition, her voice was anything but soft, smooth and steady, being quite quirky and undulating. She also had a cackling laugh that Iris found annoying if ever she laughed too hard or too long at anything. On the contrary, though, she seemed far more honest than Conner. Without even meaning to, Vesper was just so much more expressive than Conner that it was hard for her to lie. She didn't know how to put on a mask. Where Conner could easily dupe a person, Vesper was an open book. It was the one thing Iris liked about her.

In the back of her mind, Iris almost found the differences between the two to be quite fitting when compared to their Gifts. Like a vine, Conner could creep along into people's minds and earn their trust even if it wasn't deserved and, like some flowers, could be both beautiful and deadly. It was moments like those when Iris found it amusing that some people painted flowers to be delicate. She knew of a lot of tough and dangerous flowers and even the pretty ones could be quite enduring and fierce. Conner was just like this, preferring to dress in finery, whether it be tuxedo or dress, despite being a force to reckon with. So many people considered flowers weak and life-giving, Conner was neither.

And Vesper, just like the light, was incredibly bright and loud and unable to hide or lie. She could not be contained, stretching out as far as her limits would allow, just like a ray of light that would stretch out through space until something obstructed its path. Just like the light, Vesper was bold, dangerous, restless, sharp, crazy and blinding. Just like the light, Vesper was bright, open, honest, visible, readable and undeniable. Just like the light, Vesper could cause pain as well as illumination and it was a mistake to consider light pure, gentle, or healing when Vesper seemed to embody the more dangerous and violent aspects of the light.

Even Venderwarp had this Gift-personality parallel. It would make sense that a taskmaster like such as himself would have the ability to travel anywhere at any time in any time. He was always on lookout, always putting his nose in other people's businesses whether or not it concerned him. His Gift of teleportation just amplified his ability to spy and watch with ease and speed. But what of Iris? How did her personality resemble decay? It was something Iris still hadn't-

"GOT YA!" Vesper cackled suddenly, shooting a ray of light directly into Iris' eyes.

"Ouch!" the tiny brunette clamped a hand over her burning eyes, spots flickering behind her eyelids. Vesper continued to pitch that obnoxious laugh of hers and Iris grunted out in anger. "Have you forgotten that I have the power to decay things? I can blind you too, you know?" she threatened, even going as far as raising one hand to Vesper's face, the other still firmly clamped over her stinging eyes. That shut Vesper up. Conner, who stood a few paces away, trying to get his vines to climb all the way up the mountain, began to laugh.

"You'd better watch out, Vesper!" he teased. "Or else Ms. Iris will turn you into an ugly old hag!"

"I'm not worried about that," Vesper snorted. "You walk around looking like one every day!"

"Why you little-!" a really thorny vine shot out at Vesper but she dodged it with ease. Apparently, being Gifted also meant that one had heightened physical traits as well. Iris had never run so fast or felt so strong as she did when she was in her Gifted-mode, purple eyes glowing like twin fires of strength, speed and raw power.

"Alright, that's enough!" Venderwarp came teleporting in. "I don't want you three exhausting your Gifts already. It's barely even noon!"

"Yes, sir," Conner and Vesper both pretended to sulk. What Venderwarp was referring to was, of course, the limitations on the Gifts. Of course everything came with a price, and that included the usage of a Gift. It wasn't like it was as easy as hitting a button. Time and energy had to be invested in using a Gift and it took a lot of practice to graduate beyond small skills.

For example, Vesper's light wouldn't last forever. If she let it shine for too long, it would "burn out" and she would need to rest before she could use it again. Conner's plants worked the same way. The more and the more powerful plants that he used, the more energy it took from him and even when he only used simple vines and grasses, it wasn't like he could just cover the entire camp in killer plants. It took time and energy to pull the plants up from the ground and spread them out. Even Venderwarp had such limitations, energy basing off of how many teleports he performed or how far he went each time. Iris' own powers worked similarly. She could only decay a few small things before feeling incredibly tired. Now, she was doing better than before, able to rot away a rock the size of a small dog instead of the size of her hand, but it still took practice.

"Whew!" Iris exclaimed as she finished decaying an entire garden of Conner's.

"Good job. You killed my pride and joy," the boy deadpanned, but he wasn't being serious. Instead, he only grew some more flowers up, them blooming better than the first batch because the decayed remains of the first batch were now acting as a fertilizer, and had Iris repeat the process.

At the end of the week, though, something happened to change Iris' mind about Venderwarp and his "noble rebellion". Iris had been looking for Venderwarp in part of their mountain bunker when she heard his voice and Vesper's echoing through one of the small caves (which had been created, as Iris now knew, by Venderwarp teleporting rocks out of the inside to create an entire cave system within the mountain).

"If you're going to keep Storm locked up, you as might as well let me have more fun with her!" the fiery-haired girl whined. Iris made a soft noise of surprise when she heard that and she quickly hid in one of the side caves and listened to the conversation as the speakers drew closer.

"No. If you go too hard on her, she'll die," Venderwarp rebuked the literally hotheaded girl.

"So? You hate her anyway!" Vesper argued. "Besides, it's been almost two weeks and she's still in one piece!"

"True. But I need something to bait Iris with," Venderwarp explained. "If Storm dies, I won't have Iris."

"She doesn't have to know," Vesper scoffed.

"Yes she does," Venderwarp countered. "I promised her Storm if we win."

"And how will you keep Storm from telling?" challenged Vesper.

"We'll either threaten to kill Iris, or we'll just say that Storm was confused," Venderwarp shrugged. "Remember, as Iris' friends, she'll trust us."

"More than her own mentor?" Vesper was still skeptical. Her amber eyes glittered.

"Yes. If her mentor looks like she'd suffered too many head injuries and if we were the ones to 'free' her," Venderwarp laughed coldly.

Iris didn't hear Vesper's reply because she had spaced out by then. Storm was being tortured just like Iris feared, but her tormentor wasn't Grau. It was these two, the very people Iris had considered to be friends and allies! Horror and betrayal coursed through the tiny brunette as she heard Venderwarp and Vesper move farther and farther away through the caves. She had to fix this! The girl quickly fled the mountain bunker and made a beeline for Grau's private cabin. In the back of her mind, she realized that there was no way Grau could've been guilty after all because, if he had been the one to kidnap Storm to bait Iris just like Venderwarp had said, then surely he would've tried to come calling again since had been almost two weeks, just like Vesper said, since Grau had 'kidnapped' Storm.

"How could I have been so stupid?!" Iris cursed. "Of course the teleporter would be the guilty one! How else do you kidnap a soldier without anyone knowing where she went for an entire week?! How else do you kidnap without leaving any traces behind?!" A few minutes later, Iris had reached Grau's little building. She knocked swiftly on the door and when it opened, she wasted no time running inside and breathlessly explaining to Grau all that she knew about Venderwarp, Storm, and the upcoming rebellion.

"What you have told me is interesting," Grau purred. His calm demeanor was a little off-putting but, admittedly, very in-character. "I have always known I've had enemies in my camp, but I never realized how far it has gotten… Why have you confessed this?"

"Because Venderwarp has my mentor," Iris replied. "Because Venderwarp lied to me, he's been tricking me for this entire past week to believe that you were the kidnapper when it was him the whole time. I want her back and I know you can help."

"So be it then," Grau replied, satisfied with the answer and amused by Iris' nerve. For one so tiny, she was very feisty. "But on one condition."

"Let me guess, you want me to serve you instead now?" Iris interrupted him. Grau cackled. She really was feisty!

"Correct, little one," he leered.

"Wonderful," despite herself, Iris rolled her eyes. Yeah, she was scared and tired and more frantic to find Storm now than ever, but at the same time, it seemed that Camp Steuben had a thing for manipulation and, already, it was getting kind of old.

At the same time, though, Iris didn't know what else to do. The only reason she hadn't called any one the moment Venderwarp lied about Grau kidnapping Storm was because, the way Iris saw it, if she were to call the law down on Grau, he'd just figure out a way to cover it up and discredit Iris. She kept quiet during her time under Venderwarp because she figured that Venderwarp was the only one who stood a chance against Grau. One would think that hearing that Venderwarp was the true kidnapper would make life easier but, if anything, it made it harder. She didn't want to anger a man with teleportation powers who was known throughout Denbar as Grau's second in command. So once again, Iris was forced to contend with the less than wonderful offer given to her simply because it was all she had. In the same way that Venderwarp had been the only one who stood a chance against Grau, Grau was the only one who stood a chance against Venderwarp.

"So be it then," Iris echoed Grau's statement and pledged her loyalty away again. This double cross was becoming a triple cross and it was getting really confusing. At the same time, though, Iris knew she wouldn't stop until she knew where her mentor was. Grau seemed to sense this determination and, under his massive hood, he smiled. He found Iris' devotion to Storm quite refreshing. It wasn't everyday an apprentice willingly snuck out of her home camp on a wild goose chase for a mentor she used to butt heads with every five seconds. But it was clear that such animosity had changed and Grau knew he was more likely to tear down a mountain with his bare hands than get Iris to go home without Storm.

So, for another week, Iris worked hard on her Gift, but this time, she was acting as spy for Grau. She had informed the old man of all the secrets Venderwarp had told her. Iris felt a little bad about pulling a double cross on the double crosser, but Grau seemed to be the lesser of two evils. Iris also learned that though it was true that Grau wanted to have Iris in his ranks, it was untrue that he'd force or blackmail her into it. Instead, he said he was waiting for her to come willingly. The only time he'd ever force her into it was if things got real bad and she refused for selfish reasons. Otherwise, Grau respected her free will, something Venderwarp did not. This was the biggest reason Iris was choosing Grau over Venderwarp. Both of them had manipulated her, but Grau seemed honest about his deceit. That wasn't saying much, but it beat out Venderwarp who was deceitful about his deceit, playing the victim card and acting innocent. Perhaps he was right about Grau being a corrupt leader, but from what Iris had learned, Venderwarp wouldn't be much better.

Grau then doubly confirmed what Venderwarp had already said about the eyes and their Gifts, this time adding in what his own Gift was.

"Immortality," he said and, for the first time ever, Iris saw something behind his hood: two orbs glowing blood red.

"Ugh," Iris shuddered, failing to keep herself relaxed as Grau's eyes began to shine. She briefly wondered how old he was given that his Gift was one that prevented death. But she didn't dare ask. Instead, she took Grau's word for it and they continued on training. In the back of her mind, Iris figured that was why such an old man was still serving as an army camp leader. Usually, retirement ranged from 65-75 but Grau seemed older than that. With the Gift of immortality, though, those years would be nothing to him. Iris had found a new level of fear and reverence for the old man. He was devoted to his post, if nothing else.

But despite being angry at Venderwarp for deceiving her and being thoroughly creeped out by Grau, like always, Iris' mind continued to point towards her mentor. True, Iris was no closer to finding Storm now than she had been about two weeks ago when the blond first went missing, but Iris was determined to find her anyway and she couldn't help but feel like she was finally making some progress. Here was hoping that Grau would indeed make good on his word and help Iris save Storm. All the tiny brunette really needed was time, but it was time she didn't know if Storm had. She could only hope.

Iris was hoping Storm could hold on, but she wasn't doing as well as Iris would've wanted. Storm was currently lying on the cold hard ground of the cave, wrists chained to the wall. She had been this position for over two weeks and it was really starting to mess with her mind. True, her captors did allow her to take quick walks outside every few hours, but they were still so confining that they didn't do too much to ease the pain of eventually having to return to her prison cave. In addition, despite her captors being kind enough to leave behind books and puzzles, Storm was still bored most of the time. The loneliness, confinement and boredom were awful! Storm was just lucky that, so far, no physical harm had come to her. Her captors never once hit or kicked her even slightly. There were moments, though, when she wished they would just so she had an excuse to get into a fight and to feel alive again and not like she was just existing. There was so much more to life than this, but this was all Storm was allowed to have. She did dimly remember one of her captors promising her that she'd only be stuck in this place for about a month but, since there was no clock or calendar, Storm felt as though it had been a year already.

"Well, well, well" a deep voice roused Storm from her weary slumber. It was Venderwarp. Storm growled to herself but she refused to roll over and face him. The first time he'd come to visit her was not long after that strange girl with the wild blond hair had made the announcement that Storm was officially her prisoner of war. That visit from Venderwarp, though short, had been so bad that Storm's temper nearly did break part of her chains clean off the cave wall. She didn't succeed, obviously, but her anger and shame at being kidnapped by Venderwarp had given her the strength to put on quite an impressive display of raw brutality. Now, though, on the rare occasion he did come visit her instead of sending in the blond girl or her clean-cut companion, Storm would just ignore him. But then he began to nudge her with his foot. Not enough to hurt, just enough to annoy. Storm tried to ignore it, but finally, she just couldn't anymore.

"Yes, Venderwarp?" she growled, rolling over and sitting up.

"Yes, it's me," the chubby man grinned down at her, glee at finally getting a response from her evident upon his face.

"What do you want?" the blond demanded, trying to ignore the wave of fury she felt in response to Venderwarp's smug smirk.

"I've got something very important that I need you to do for me," he replied.

"Ha! As if I'd do anything other than try to make your life a living nightmare!" Storm interrupted with a harsh scoff.

"You may want to reconsider that," Venderwarp warned. "After all, Ms. Long's life hangs in balance just as much as yours does."

"What?!" despite herself, the moment Storm heard Venderwarp mention her apprentice, a wave of protectiveness washed over her.

"That's right," Venderwarp confirmed. "As I'm sure you have guessed, your little apprentice is here in camp, looking for you," the ugly man paused to snicker cruelly. "It was fun, watching her try to protect you back then!" he said.

"Don't you say a word against her!" Storm warned him, finally tugging at her chains again after nearly a week in comatose.

"I'm not," Venderwarp promised. "But what I am going to say is this: I am planning a rebellion against Grau and Iris is more instrumental than you know. Because of that, it is in everyone's best interest that you do exactly as I say. Am I clear?" he paused and Storm reluctantly agreed.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked. It went against her every instinct to submit to such a vile man, but Denbar knew she wasn't going to be able to get out of this alone and, even if she could, it sounded like Iris was just as much a prisoner to Venderwarp as she was. If Storm wanted any chance of saving her apprentice, as well as herself, she would have to play along for now. She'd lose a battle to win a war! As soon as the time would come, she would rid herself of Venderwarp and double cross him! But for now?

"I just want you to listen," Venderwarp replied calmly. "Like I said, Iris will be helping in my little rebellion and, if either of you ever wants to see each other again, you won't breathe a word about me to her, even after I've set you free once this is all over. Am I clear?"

"As crystal," Storm replied. Then she even forced herself to bow her head. It almost physically hurt to offer up such power to such a despicable idiot, but it was necessary for the act. Even if Venderwarp didn't entirely believe it, that small gesture of a bow did enough to satiate him.

"Excellent," he leered, then he turned to go and vanished as quickly as he'd come, just like always. Storm, meanwhile, felt her gears turning.

As soon as he was gone, Storm began to plan. It sounded like Venderwarp was going to deliver her right to Iris, no doubt pretending that he'd rescued her from Grau or something like that. But if that was the case, in order to find Iris, Storm would just have to be patient. Surely she could secure at least a little bit of private time with her apprentice! Then, she would be able to tell Iris the truth about Venderwarp and, with any luck, they would both be able to escape home before Venderwarp even noticed. It would be the perfect double cross! Storm just needed time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Dun, dun, dun! So now you know that Grau is a Gifted and his Gift is freakin' immortality. Just how much does this man know about the Gifted anyway? And now it looks like Venderwarp might be the true villain of the plot, but maybe Iris might be able to kill two birds with one stone, after all, immortality is technically impossible and everything has a way to die somehow. It's just nature! And strange as they are, even the Gifted must follow that law of nature. But what about Storm? She doesn't know that Iris knows of Venderwarp's deceit. Would it be better for Storm to try and escape and risk endangering Iris, or just to wait for Iris to find her? It won't be long now anyway.


	18. Home Front

All this time, during the two-week absence of Iris (plus three days for Storm), Camp Heath was in an uproar. Nobody thought anything of Storm's disappearance until Iris went missing too. It all began when Clover woke up to an empty bed. It had then only taken the ginger 30 seconds to jump out of bed, run all the way over to Captain's private cabin, wake him up, and then have him announce to the whole camp that Iris was gone. All the other soldiers of Camp Heath grew concerned at once. They finally began to realize that maybe Storm was in more trouble than it seemed and now Iris could be suffering the same fate by trying to save her. Guilt and fear was heavy in the dining hall that morning as soldier and apprentice alike chattered about the missing duo and what was to be done about it.

"Didn't she leave some kind of message at all?! Even a little one?!" Jason demanded.

"No! She didn't! I swear! I looked!" Clover wailed. She wasn't crying yet, but tears were still in her dark blue eyes. She couldn't help but feel guilty, like she should've kept better watch over Iris or taken her story more seriously. If she had, maybe Iris would still be here with her and not who knew where? She held her head in her hands, moaning to herself. She hated being stuck on the home front while Iris might've been in peril.

"Hey now, take it easy!" Peter was speaking to Jason and Clover both, but he wrapped a gentle arm around Clover and cast a glare at Jason. Jason finally looked ashamed of himself. In truth, he really did feel bad about being so rough with such a gentle girl, but Iris' disappearance was frightening, to say the least. True, there had been more arguments between the two of late, but that didn't mean Jason didn't want Iris home safe. He was just as scared as Clover! But that didn't give him the right to lash out at her…

"I'm sorry," he told Clover sincerely, showing off that mature side of himself that had been growing ever since his soldier ceremony. "It was wrong of me to lose my temper at you instead of trying to control it."

"It's ok," Clover sniffled. "I know you're only scared, just like me…" she rubbed her eyes as Peter continued to cradle her.

"I'm sure it'll turn out fine," Jason tried. "I'll bet you that Captain is making phone calls right now and this will be all sorted out by tomorrow!" it was clear that Jason really was trying to be encouraging, but the best Clover could offer in return was a very forced smile that did no one any good.

Jason turned out to be half correct in his assessment. While it was true that Captain was calling the other army camps and all the states in Denbar, including Labelle, it was not true that it got sorted out by the next morning. Instead, after three days of both Iris and Storm missing, Captain finally dared to send out search parties. Since the Noctifers had been eerily quiet for so long, the big man decided that he could spare a few men to help look for his missing soldiers. At the same time, he couldn't help but grieve. Though he tried not to play favorites, he had come to see Storm as a daughter, having been her first friend when she arrived to Camp Heath about a decade ago. In addition, Iris was such a sweet spirit that the thought of her being in danger was enough to bother anyone. Worst of all, though, Captain was the camp leader. This meant that while he felt the most for his soldiers, almost feeling like a father to them all, he had to show the least. He had to continue to laugh and plan. He wasn't allowed to grieve like the others because he had to remain strong for them, but his guilt was the heaviest because he couldn't help but feel like these two disappearances were his fault. If only he'd kept a better eye on those two! Then maybe they wouldn't be missing…

"I've just sent out another search party!" a voice interrupted Captain's mourning and he turned to see Maxim striding into their cabin smartly. Captain smiled through his misery. Good old Maxim! Captain could always count on him to keep a cool head in situations like this. But that was because Maxim preferred to rule with his head instead of his heart. When he heard that Iris and Storm were missing, he didn't hear that two people were lost, he heard that two soldiers were away from their post. He looked at it critically, pragmatically, focusing more on the logic and logistic than the emotion. The way he saw it, in order to find something lost, one had to look for it. But at the same time, one couldn't just send folks out at random. It had to be organized. So he had been left to come up with the search parties while Captain tried to boost morale.

"Excellent," Captain told his husband. "Thank you," Maxim walked over to his leader and husband and wrapped his arms around him.

"Don't worry, Captain, we'll find them," he promised, once again displaying that rare moment of affection that only Captain ever saw from him.

"I know," Captain leaned into Maxim's hug, kissing his hand. "I'm still worried, though. They were like the kiddos I never had."

"I know," Maxim replied and he continued to hold his husband silently for a bit longer. Maxim may not have felt as sad or afraid as anyone else had over these disappearances, but that didn't mean he didn't feel anything at all. On the contrary, he did sort of miss Storm and Iris because even though he wasn't close to either of them, he understood and acknowledged that they were comrades of his and that they could be in serious trouble. In addition, he hated to see cheerful Captain looking so gloomy. Everyone was feeling the strain of the disappearances now, even Maxim.

But not everyone was feeling as relaxed as Maxim. On the contrary, three soldiers in particular were actually pretty upset.

"Why aren't we on any of the search parties?!" Gale demanded as the last group headed out.

"Maxim probably thinks we'd be too emotional!" Tempest replied angrily, arms crossed and pale green eyes flashing.

"You could still go, though, couldn't you?" Clover pleaded with them and Jason. She was starting to get seriously worried and, as irrational as it was, she couldn't help but have all these thoughts about Iris coming home dead, or just being lost forever. Thoughts like those made Clover want to throw up. She wasn't sure if she would be able to manage if anything were to happen to Iris.

"No, we can't," Jason shook his head, visibly pained.

"But why?! Iris is your girlfriend, right?" Peter asked. Jason nodded. "Then do something for her!"

"Like what?" Jason growled, sensing what Peter was implying.

"Gee, I don't know… How about you try looking for her?! Peter demanded.

"But the rules-" Jason began.

"Oh, come on man! Do you really care more about the rules than your own girlfriend?!" Peter interrupted.

"No!" Jason pleaded. "I can't just run off, though. It would only make matters worse!"

For a moment more, the two boys continued to bicker, Peter accusing Jason of being a coward while Jason tried to defend his passive actions. At last, though, Peter finally struck a low blow.

"I can see why Iris ran away. You're a pretty useless boyfriend, aren't you?!" he growled.

"Why you-!" Jason cut himself off in his anger and finally, physically, lashed out, tackling Peter to the ground in an instant. Peter did put up quite the fight to get Jason off of him but, just due to body type difference, Jason quickly dominated Peter and Peter was trapped beneath him. That was when Jason lost it. He began to hit Peter, raining blows down on him as he yelled.

"YOU DON'T THINK I'M NOT TERRIFIED RIGHT NOW?!" he demanded. "IRIS' ABSENCE HAS SCARED THE LIFE OUT OF ME, BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?! I'M JUST AS LOST AS YOU ARE?! OR DID YOU WANT ME TO JUST START RUNNING AROUND DENBAR, HOPING FOR SOMETHING TO MAGICALLY POP UP?! I DON'T SEE YOU DOING ANYTHING!"

Jason continued to pound Peter until Tempest finally interceded, literally prying both of the boys apart and raising them up by the scruffs of their necks, holding them a few feet apart.

"Enough!" she shouted. "You've had your go at each other, now ENOUGH. We're all scared for Iris and Storm and we all have no idea what to do. Let's not start blaming each other. The last thing anyone needs is for inner turmoil because the external is hard enough as it is!" the lithe brunette continued to chastise both of the boys, discouraging their childish and aggressive behaviors.

Finally, the two got her point and apologized to her profusely. Truthfully, neither of them had meant to get so out of hand. Iris' absence really was just that worrying. They continued to apologize even after Tempest had set them both down again.  
"Believe us, we know," Gale finally stepped in. "Tempest and I have known Storm for nearly a decade. She's practically family! And Iris? Well, Tempest and I have both trained her. You can't possibly think you're the only ones who miss her."

"You're right," Jason and Peter both stared at their feet in shame.

"Look, let's just try to do our best here on the home front. I know it's not fun, but it's all we have," Tempest pleaded and Jason and Peter managed to make peace, at least for a bit.

Sadly, nothing came up even after those few days. Everybody answered Captain's calls and searches negatively and by the time Iris had been away for a week, Captain had the unpleasant task of dealing with Iris' family directly. Apparently, Rusty made it mandatory that Clover call him once a week but, during their last talk, Rusty had picked up on enough distress in Clover's voice to realize what had happened. He wasted no time in telling Iris' parents who wasted no time in calling Captain directly and demanding to know what had become of their daughter. Captain's heart broke for the devastated parents and even though they yelled at and blamed him for Iris' disappearance, he never once lost his temper back at them. He knew they didn't really mean it, they were just terrified for their daughter. But who could blame them?

"Where is our baby girl?!" Mae howled, sobbing like a banshee through the phone.

"Yes! We've heard that she is missing, but is there no word on her location yet at all?" Lester snapped, anger masking grief and fear.

"And you call yourselves good and watchful people," Rusty agreed, currently at Iris' home, trying to offer support to a grieving Mae and Lester. His words were incredibly cruel, but Captain only took them with a bowed head.

"I'm sorry, believe me, I am!" he pleaded once they finally stopped screaming and crying at him. "We are doing our very best! We've got search parties all over Denbar, but we simply cannot find them!"

"Well, they can't have just vanished into thin air, so LOOK HARDER!" all three of the adults demanded and Captain had no choice but to heave another guilty sigh and agree before hanging up the phone. The home front was a mess.

"Where can they be?!" Captain despaired to himself. Once again, he hid his bearded face in his massive hands and exhaled slowly. Just beyond his cabin, Gale and Tempest were arguing again about whether or not they ought to join a search party. Clover was still crying into Peter's shoulder and Jason was nowhere to be found. "Where can they be?!" Captain repeated. Little did he know that the answer would've been unlike anything he could've ever imagined. One of them was locked away in a mountain while the other was about to fight a rebellion…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry this is such a short chapter, but as you can see, I've got other things I'm trying to work on too. Anyway, as a recap, things are boiling up on the home front and with no one stepping forward about the whereabouts of Storm and Iris, things are getting really rough. If only they knew, though, that one of the was being held hostage and the other was about to overthrow the fiercest camp leader Denbar has ever known. But will it work? Or is the rebellion going to scatter, sent home in body-bags?


	19. Rebellion

"Ready?" Venderwarp asked. In reply, Iris activated her Gift, letting her purple eyes glow brightly. Today was the big day. Today was the day of the rebellion. "Good," Venderwarp clapped Iris' back, understanding what her gesture meant. Then he moved over to Vesper and Connor who made similar gestures. With that confirmation, Venderwarp smiled darkly at them before turning to the other soldiers in his rebel army.

"Friends! After years slaving away under our corrupt leader, we are finally ready to break his unforgiving chains and start over new! Today will mark a new and noble era for this camp and, together, we will rebuild this place to its former glory and single-handedly save Denbar from its oppressors. No longer shall we tarry away at Grau's behest! Instead, he shall do as our country bids and, together, we will triumph!" he declared. His grandiose speech lasted a little bit longer and when it reached its conclusion, his small but devoted army began to cheer softly. Emboldened by his words and promises, they felt ready to do anything.

Iris, meanwhile, couldn't help but shake her head. Venderwarp was a persuasive fellow, if nothing else. She could see why someone would be so inclined to think of him as a friend. He did splendidly at playing the role of a martyred soldier and adorable friend. But Iris knew what a lying cur lay beneath his friendly exterior and she was entirely unmoved by his speech. The only reason she was here today was because she was still playing her double cross game. On Grau's orders, she was to spend a bit of time helping the rebel cause before trying to lure Venderwarp into confessing his crimes so that Grau could properly punish him. By this point, Iris didn't give a darn about either side of the rebellion, but she understood that, for this one last day, she had to play her part. With any luck, though, this would be the last time she had to kiss up to Grau or Venderwarp. The rebellion would, if everything went right, end this very day and Iris would be with Storm again after so very long.

"Is everyone ready?!" Venderwarp whisper-yelled to his troops.

"Yes, sir!" they all replied eagerly, each hoping to distinguish themself in battle so that, when Venderwarp emerged triumphant, they would become one of his favored soldiers.

"Not quite," Iris interrupted softly. Venderwarp heard her and turned.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I was just going to ask about Storm," she said meekly, pretending to look distressed.

"Iris, I already told you that I promise I'll find her!" Venderwarp sighed, also pretending to look innocent. It was a double double cross, each person lying to the other and pretending to be friendly to reach their own goals.

"I know," Iris nodded. "But I just meant that if you find her early, can you tell me where she is?"

"Of course," Venderwarp vowed and Iris knew he'd make good on this word.

Not a moment later, the battle began. Venderwarp tossed a grenade into the heart of camp to get things going an it all escalated from there, soldiers coming in from every which way, each armed to the teeth and hungry for blood. Even Iris got lost in the tide of battle. It seemed that the longer she used her Gift, the more inclined to fight she became. Now, she was draining the life out of any soldier who dared cross her path. It was brutal and disgusting, but she was beyond caring, waving her arms and drawing out the life force within each of them. She tried to kill as little as possible, but there were a few moments when she wiped out an entire life, body falling to the ground as nothing more than an empty shell. But even those who weren't entirely killed by Iris' evil Gift were affected. Some people only suffered a few moments but the drainage was enough to weaken them to the point of either fleeing or being killed by another soldier. The bloodlust of battle made Iris blind and deaf to the atrocities she was committing. Instead, all she cared about was victory!

In the background, Iris was aware of Connor's vines strangling people while some of his plants pricked and poisoned others. She could see Venderwarp darting all around the battlefield and Iris could see Vesper using her light to blind soldiers. One might've thought that Vesper's Gift would've been useless in combat but no, Vesper was harnessing the light very well and could sometimes concentrate the light enough to make a kind of lazer. It was a relatively weak one, but it worked and the blinding attacks were highly effective as well. But even the normal soldiers were putting up a good fight, swords, clubs, axes, etc. flying through the air as soldiers battled to the death for control of the eastern war camp. It was a bloody yet exhilarating happenstance as everyone vied for control, desperate to overthrow their despised leader.

Some time in the heat of battle, Venderwarp came up to Iris.

"I found Storm, Iris!" he shouted.

"You did?!" Iris screamed back, genuine excitement crossing her face even though she was pretty sure Venderwarp was lying.

"I did!" the round man confirmed. "I found her in some sort of chamber under Grau's private office and I rescued her!"

"Thank you!" Iris continued to shout over the chaos, doing her best to look grateful instead of totally disbelieving. "But where is she now?!

"You're welcome, my dear!" Venderwarp shouted back. "And to answer your question, she's currently in one of our private bunkers!" he winked a silver eye at Iris so that she would understand and she nodded back, forcing her purple eyes to glow in response. Iris pretended to thank him again before they both returned to the battle, but now Iris was looking for someone in particular.

It took a moment but, eventually, Iris found Grau. The moment they met each other, the old man led Iris away to privacy.

"What have you found out?" he rasped sharply and Iris repeated her earlier talk with Venderwarp regarding Storm.

"We'll have him at a perfect place to prove his guilt," Iris said. "If you fake your death, we can go there together and I can trick him into a verbal confession. Once we have that confession, you can come out of hiding and call him on it."

"Hmmm, what a clever plan," Grau rumbled approvingly. Iris couldn't help but shudder. She hoped this didn't mean Grau would try to recruit her now as a strategist. Before she could ask, though, Grau dismissed her. "Fight for a little bit more. I'll fake my death in a moment, and then we can go get Storm," he instructed. Iris nodded obediently before lunging back into the fray, swords drawn against Venderwarp.

Iris participated in combat for a bit longer before Grau faked his death. Iris heard a triumphant shout and, like everyone else in the area, turned to see Connor suspending Grau's figure in the air, vines wrapping around his body and head. Iris could see Connor visibly tightening the vines around Grau's body before severing his head clean off. Iris hissed in horror and awe, hoping that the beheading had been part of the plan. But she wouldn't know yet. At least not for a bit longer. First, there had to be some minor celebration. It began with Connor and Vesper both cheering like madmen and then it stretched throughout the rest of the rebel ranks while all those loyal to Grau scrambled for a place to hide as Venderwarp strode proudly into the center of camp, chest puffed up. He began to give another victory speech but Iris ignored it, busily trying to find Grau.

"Over here!" a voice rasped and Iris turned to see the old man beckoning to her from the hospital building. She ran over to him in relief.

"How did you escape?" Iris whispered the moment they were together.

"I didn't," he replied. "I just swaddled up a doll in one of my black robes and let the chaos of battle do the rest of the disguising!"

"Nice," Iris complimented.

"Thank you," Grau replied, satisfaction in his voice. "Now where is Storm?" he asked and Iris cocked her head over to the mountain.

Storm wasn't sure how many days she'd endured. All she knew was that she was tired. But that didn't stop her from trying to be brave when Venderwarp entered her cave again.

"Where's Vesper and Connor?" the blond asked, having finally weaseled their names from Venderwarp. "Have I worn them out?" she smirked.

"They're in the middle of the rebellion," Venderwarp answered sharply. His seriousness caught Storm off guard. She knew that this rebellion was real and had been something Venderwarp had up his sleeve for a long time but to hear that it was actually going on was a different matter entirely. For a moment, Storm wondered if Venderwarp wasn't just trying to trick her, but no, she could see real sweat dripping down his face and there was a genuine air of terror surrounding him. This rebellion really was happening right now. The blond swallowed in fear as it occurred to her that Iris would be somewhere at the center of all of it. She strained against her chains just slightly, silently begging her apprentice to stay safe…

"Arrghhh-" Storm's scream was cut off as Venderwarp suddenly lunged at her, covering her head in a black towel. For about five seconds, they stayed in this position, Venderwarp smothering Storm in a towel, but after those five seconds were up, Venderwarp removed the towel.

"What in Denbar was that for?!" Storm demanded angrily. Venderwarp didn't answer, however, looking very troubled. For a moment, Storm grew genuinely concerned. Had Venderwarp lost his mind? What was the point of that mini-smothering? Was it just something to throw Storm off guard? She was dimly aware of the fact that the rebellion sounded farther away than before. This turned her thoughts back to Iris.

"Iris…" Storm whimpered. "Please, please be ok…" she couldn't bear the thought of losing Iris now. Venderwarp, meanwhile, continued to stand a silent vigil beside Storm, hardly even breathing as his mouth moved. Was he counting? What was he timing? Storm could only wonder.

The sounds of rebellion grew and died in shifts and, at some point, Venderwarp ran away from Storm again and back out into the fray. Storm spent the next several minutes alone before she heard one particularly loud cheer go up. She didn't need to see to know that the rebellion was over, she just didn't know which side had won, or if Iris was even still alive at this point. But just a few more minutes after that loud cheer went up, Storm heard the sound of someone running around behind her.

"Storm?!" the voice cried. Storm felt her heart pound in her chest in response to the speaker.

"Iris!" that was right. Iris had finally found Storm. After nearly a month apart, the two were almost together again. Storm hadn't even realized just how much she missed Iris until she heard Iris call her name.

The two continued this back-and-forth call until Iris finally found Storm.

"Iris!" Storm let out a relieved cry to see her wayward apprentice giving a proud, lopsided grin as she entered the room. She looked unharmed.

"Storm," Iris' purple-eyes glowed with so much relief and joy that Storm felt her heart melt a little. The young girl raced to her mentor's side, purple eyes widening in horror as she got a look at Storm. She may not have suffered any physical trauma from her captors, but there were still some bruises from all the times Storm tried to escape and, being locked up for nearly two weeks was enough to make anyone look a bit shabby.

"I'm sure I'm quite the sight," the blond murmured, trying to ease her apprentice. Iris, however, was struck dumb. She reached out and began to touch Storm's face on pure instinct. Storm would've considered the moment embarrassing had she not found Iris' tenderness so surprisingly wonderful. It felt good to be touched with kindness after spending so long being alone.

"Oh, Storm…" Iris' voice was breaking with guilt and pain. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's ok. I'm ok," Storm sighed, trying to put on a brave face as Iris pulled her into a hug.

"I'm just so sorry. If only I'd gotten her earlier" the apprentice murmured as she continued to asses her mentor. Storm rumbled happily as Iris continued to inspect her. It had been a long two weeks and Iris was a sight for sore eyes. But then she felt a few tears soaking through her hair.

"Don't cry now!" the blond protested, wishing her arms were free so that she could hug Iris back.

"Yeah, save your tears for the funeral!" Iris and Storm both jerked their heads up to see Venderwarp blocking the entrance, sword in hand.

"You!" Iris snarled straightening up and facing Venderwarp with an anger that even impressed Storm. This girl had grown since last they met!

"Yes. Me!" Venderwarp snarled, advancing slowly upon the helpless girls. "Now you, back off or I'll run you through!" he added, brandishing his sword. Iris swallowed. She had foolishly thrown away her arms and armor once the battle was over and she didn't think she had enough strength to drain Venderwarp. Then again, even if her Gift had been 'fully charged' it still wouldn't have been strong enough to kill him quickly. Iris' decaying power took time to use and, in a room this tiny, there wasn't much time anywhere.

"Do it," Storm whispered to Iris, breaking her thoughts. Iris gave her a wounded look, but she reluctantly pulled away.

"Good girl," Venderwarp growled. "Now. You are going to do exactly as I say or I swear that she gets it!" he aimed his sword at Storm.

"No. Don't. Please!" Iris raised her hands, but she didn't dare approach Storm again. Storm mouthed an apology. She hated being a damsel in distress and she hated being at the mercy of Venderwarp. "Look, I can do whatever you want, but don't hurt her, ok?" Iris continued to plead, fighting to keep her voice steady. Venderwarp almost smirked at the pathetic sight.

"Good girl," he repeated coldly. "I'm glad we can come to these agreements so easily."

"What do you want me to do?" Iris repeated.

"Something simple," Venderwarp answered. "I want to you to help me kill Grau."

"What? But sir! Isn't he dead?" Iris tried, but both of them knew that Venderwarp had since caught onto Grau's trick.

"We both know he isn't and you will help me kill him. Properly, this time," Venderwarp snapped, stepping closer still. "Or I'll kill her. You promised to help me kill Grau and you're going to keep that promise or I swear I'll kill you both!" he snarled. When Iris only shook her head, Venderwarp shook his sword. "I mean it!"

"We know!" a voice drawled. Three heads jerked towards the room's entrance and Storm gasped softly as she realized who it was. Grau.

"What? Grau?! What are you doing here?!" Venderwarp panicked, whipping around to face Grau with his sword, but his hands were shaking so badly that everyone in the room was certain he wouldn't be able to land a solid blow even if Grau let him. Iris took this opportunity to whisper into Storm's ear, holding her close while Venderwarp wasn't looking.

"I know you're confused. But trust me!" she pleaded. "Trust me and don't say a word!" she cried. Storm wanted to protest even now, but she had the wisdom only to nod in reply. "Thanks," the purple-eyed apprentice breathed in relief, reluctantly retreating from Storm's side. As she pulled away, Storm saw her wipe her teary eyes. They were still glowing a bit.

"Can't a man explore his own camp?" Grau answered Venderwarp with a question.

"No! Well, I mean, yes! But…" Venderwarp fumbled on his words and Grau tipped his hooded head.

"But what, Venderwarp?" his oily voice was smooth as a snake's hiss and twice as scary. "Was there something you didn't want me to see?"

"Not at all!" Venderwarp protested, sweating terribly.

"Then you won't mind if I come in?" Grau probed. Storm turned to see Iris trying to control a smile. This only confused her more, but she remembered Iris' instructions and said nothing.

"I don't think you need to," Venderwarp said weakly, sword lowered limply in his arm.

"Oh, come now," Grau said smoothly. Venderwarp finally moved away, cowering by the entrance but not daring to flee as Grau entered and walked forward until he was only a few inches away from Storm, still bound in chains to a chair.

"Well. This is most unexpected," Grau drawled. "Finding an innocent soldier held on my property without my consent," Grau pretended to tsk, shaking his hooded head. "This simply will not do. It goes against my orders. I must deliver justice!"

"Please, sir! I didn't do this!" Venderwarp protested. "It was all Vesper and Connor!" Grau turned to Venderwarp slowly, silencing him.

"Is this true?" he asked, without looking at Storm and Iris. He was coaxing out a confession and Venderwarp was too scared to see it.

"Yes," Storm rasped weakly and Iris felt her heart twist in reply to how weak Storm sounded.

"Pity," Grau sounded entirely unsympathetic. "I shall deal with them myself…" Venderwarp breathed a sigh of relief. "But that only solves who was guilty of the kidnapping," Grau said. "Now we must deal with the issue of the rebellion. The one you planned, I believe you said?"

"What?" Venderwarp quaked, relief quickly turning back into terror.

"Oh yes," Grau hissed. "I think I heard you say that you wanted Iris to kill me because she promised to aid in your rebellion. I have a confession, Venderwarp. Don't try to lie. You lose," Grau insisted. Venderwarp, terrified, turned to Iris, but the girl's purple eyes were colder than ice.

Venderwarp, unable to come up with a suitable remark gave a horrified cry and was unable to do anything as Grau dragged him out of the mountain bunker with a strength unknown to a man of his age. Right before the two men exited the room entirely, however, Grau tossed Iris a small blade. It was to cut Storm's chains, or to pick the lock, whichever Iris was better at. Once Iris caught the blade, Grau continued on his way, Venderwarp still firmly in his grasp. Storm and Iris stayed still as they heard cries of pain and pleas for mercy carry on before cutting off in a miserable gurgle. Then all fell silent. The rebellion was over. As was the life of the man who orchestrated it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So all that hullabaloo for nothing. Venderwarp's rebellion failed on day one and ended msierbly for him. But hey, at least Storm and Iris are together again! But the story ain't over yet. You still need to figure out what Grau has in store for the two of them and everyone else in the rebellion, whether they fought for or against him. It certainly won't be pretty for the latter group, I assure you. 
> 
> DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!


	20. Day 20: Making Amends

"Oh, Storm!" Iris finally came back to herself. "Are you alright?" her eyes were still tearful, but now the tears were partially of relief. It was over. She had won. Storm was safe now. That was all that mattered.

"I'm fine," Storm murmured as Iris began cutting away her binds. "Are you? You didn't get hurt, did you?" her blue eyes studied Iris intently.

"On the contrary, I've never had so much fun!" Iris beamed weakly. "I never knew a real fight was this exhilarating!"

"You're pathetic, Iris," grinned Storm, bending her body in relief as Iris set her free. "You were great, tricking Venderwarp into a confession."

"Thanks," Iris blushed. "It was a lot of fun. Like a prank or plot twist!"

Iris reached out and took Storm's hands in her own. Her purple eyes darkened. "Oh, your wrists are rubbed raw! You poor thing!" she exclaimed as she continued to fret over Storm. Storm wasn't too badly hurt, but being locked away for as long as she had still took a toll on her.

"I think I'll survive," Storm smirked, grabbing Iris by the waist. "Come here," Storm pulled Iris into a hug.

"I missed you," Iris sighed, nestling her head under Storm's chin.

"I missed you too," Storm whispered back. Iris felt her heart warm like the sun.

"He's dead," Storm and Iris' little reunion was interrupted by Grau's blunt statement about Venderwarp as he returned onto the scene. He spoke so calmly and serenely that even Storm felt disgusted by this. But now was not the time to question Grau. Instead, shortly after Grau returned to Storm and Iris, several other soldiers appeared. They were the ones who had stayed loyal to Grau through the rebellion. They looked far happier with this new outcome of the rebellion and they were more than willing to help carry Storm and Iris back down to the heart of camp.

"We made it, Iris," Storm said as they left the cave. "We won. We survived."

"I'm so proud of us," Iris whispered with a small smile. "We make a great team. We'll make history together!"

"We do make a great team," said Storm in agreement. "But this half of the team needs a break."

"Of course you do," Iris agreed. "You deserve it after all you've been through," Iris' purple eyes glittered with guilt again.

"Don't beat yourself up over it," Storm advised her apprentice and her apprentice smiled sheepishly.

Upon returning to the heart of Camp Steuben, Iris and Storm were in for another surprise. The moment Grau had checked Storm and Iris into the Camp Steuben Hospital, two visitors came to see them. It was Gale and Tempest. Apparently, they had finally fought their way onto the search party list and this was the first place they were sent to and they ended up arriving towards the end of the rebellion. They had arrived just in time to see Grau 'die' before hearing that it had all been a trick and they were in the middle of trying to figure out what was going on when Iris and Storm showed up, surrounded by Grau and several of his other loyal soldiers.

"Storm! Iris!" the couple cried in unison as they saw their two friends. Before anybody could blink, the pair of Camp Heath soldiers were smothering their comrades in love and worry. Storm grunted embarrassedly, trying to push her friends off of her before they crushed her. Iris, however, was more than content to just relax in their arms, grinning when they showed the same love for her that they showed to Storm.

"You must tell us absolutely everything!" Tempest shrilled as she and Gale sat by Storm's bedside. "You had all of Camp Heath in a tizzy! We searched all over! We thought you were dead! Captain is furious!" Tempest then proceeded to tell Storm and Iris of the mass hysteria Camp Heath endured in the weeks they were missing. She told them about the calls, the tears, the searches… everything! Iris and Storm could only exchange looks. So, maybe the adventure wasn't over yet after all. It sounded like they had a bit of a mess to clean up back home. But this leg of the journey was over, and that was enough for now.

Tempest finally realized how tired Storm and Iris were and she remembered what a nightmarish it must've been for them too. Because of that, she backed away respectfully and allowed them to rest. By the next morning, all of them set off for home, Gale calling ahead to tell Captain and the others that Storm and Iris were alive and well and coming home with them that very morning.

"It was some adventure, eh? For all of us," Gale said as they boarded the subway and began the journey home.

"Well, it was definitely exciting," said Storm, shaking her head at Gale's enthusiasm. "But I think I've had enough for a lifetime."

"Ah, you'll be climbing the walls to get back to the war as soon as you recover!" Gale protested playfully.

"Stop being so immature," Storm teased while Iris laughed. Even Tempest gave a small smile. She'd been so afraid for Storm and Iris both. It was a relief to have them here again.

"Just let me enjoy this moment, will you?" Gale pretended to frown at Storm.

"You can enjoy as much of it as you want," Iris interrupted, eyes warm. Gale had just started to thank her when Iris changed the game and her eyes suddenly took a mischievous glow. "Just as long as it doesn't come at my mentor's expense. Because then I'd have to defend her honor!"

"Feisty little thing!" Tempest laughed at Gale's stunned reaction by Iris siding with Storm against him.

"Iris. You're amazing," Storm smiled up at Iris while Tempest laughed.

"I will have my revenge," Gale joked, puffing his muscled chest in Iris' direction.

"Don't even think about it," said Storm, pulling Iris protectively to her chest. The rest of the journey home was spent in a similar mood.

In the month after the failed rebellion against Grau, things changed. Grau, himself, stayed as stoic and unknowable as ever, but he was making amends with Iris (and Camp Heath altogether) now that she knew he was never the villain. He was just a misunderstood man framed by a jealous coward. His camp had also been making amends, being updated since so many buildings were destroyed in the revolt. Most of the soldiers had come back to Grau, admitting that while he was hard, he was fair. A small few, plus Venderwarp, however, were executed. Venderwarp had tried to play the mercy card, but it wasn't offered. The others were simply too stubborn to surrender and had continually tried to fight, despite warnings from everyone, including their ex-comrades. Connor was among this number. Vesper, however, had surrendered and was merely sent to prison. It still was a blow to her ego, but she figured it beat being dead like Connor. Besides, she wasn't the only one sent back to Denbar for jail time. A few others came with her, each under the crime of treason.

Iris wasn't as affected by all this as she thought she would be. She was sad that some people had to be executed, but at the same time, by this point, she figured that some of it was deserved. Besides, in Venderwarp's case, Iris couldn't care less. He was one of the few people she had absolutely no pity for. In fact, she was still really angry that he had tricked her into believing he was just an innocent and friendly martyr. She hated him for making her trust him so easily and she still hadn't forgiven him for kidnapping Storm. Storm was fine, but it didn't matter to Iris. She was still mad. Storm found Iris' anger to be quite amusing, and actually a little sweet. Mostly, though, she was just glad to be home again!

Speaking of which, in regards to Iris' home camp, things had never been better. Captain was making amends with Iris as well, no longer mad at her for running away because the blame had been taken by Grau for her disappearance. So Captain proclaimed Iris a hero and canceled out any punishment he had in store for her. Sure, he was still mad about her running away and did still give her a firm tongue-lashing for running off, but he didn't discharge or humiliate her.

"You got off the hook this time due to sheer generosity from Grau, don't expect this to be a habitual thing," Captain warned, but Iris could feel relief radiating off his body and she knew that, although he was serious about her behavior, he wasn't as mad as he was acting. On the contrary, he was quite impressed that she'd managed to secure Grau's friendship. As undesirable as that might've been, it was still an impressive and often useful thing to have. Besides, she did save Storm. Captain couldn't overlook that. It was why he'd proclaimed Iris as a hero. This was something Iris had no issue with exploiting for fun.

"Thanks Iris," Clover joked as Iris signed an old photo of them together. It was dinnertime and Iris was playfully handing out autographs and taking pictures with her friends, hamming it up as she dramatized the story of Storm's rescue. Clover was part of the stunned crowd of listeners but, unlike them, she was pretty sure that some of the things Iris was saying were a little less than true. She knew Iris loved adventure, so it made sense that she would try to amp things up for the fun of it. At the same time, though, Clover knew that she wouldn't have cared if Iris had tried to claim that some magical creature had helped her get Storm back. The ginger was just far too happy to have the brunette home safe again to care about technicalities. In fact, she had been the very first person to hear that Iris was coming home…

Since Clover had been too young to join any search part personally, being a mere apprentice, she compensated by following Captain around like a shadow. She no longer cared how much it annoyed him or Maxim. Any word on Iris was something Clover refused to miss out on, so she followed Captain around everywhere. She kept tabs on Iris through Captain and even though it pained her beyond words that she was unable to be out there, helping to look for Iris personally, she still listened in for any news or sign that Iris was ok. That meant she was eavesdropping when Gale called Captain to tell him about Iris and Storm coming home. Hearing that had been such a relief to Clover that the girl literally squealed and began to cry. She then proceeded to sit at the subway entrance until Iris' head poked out of the entrance. What ensued was a lot of hugging, kissing and crying, from both Iris and Clover. In that one moment, the most vital thing in Clover's world was getting to Iris and making sure she was ok. That was when the waterworks had started, all the fear and grief and guilt of the past few weeks spilling out as they mingled with absolute relief.

But Clover hadn't been the only one to give Iris a teary greeting. The rest of Iris' family had been incredibly choked up too.

"Oh! I'm so glad that my baby is safe!" Mae screamed loud enough for the whole camp to hear her through the phone.

"Alright, darling, let's not deafen her now," Lester joked, gently prying Mae from the phone, but the moment Mae agreed to let go, Lester took her place in crying and blubbering like an idiot through the phone, then Iris heard Rusty in the background, begging to talk to her.

"Oh, let's get this over with!" Iris teased, then she greeted the redheaded man just as warmly as she'd greeted her parents. He seemed surprised by the level of affection she was showering him with, but he was just as relieved and spent almost as much time talking to Iris as Mae and Lester had before hanging up to call Clover.

Initially, too, Iris' family wanted to pull her and Clover from the army on spot, but the girls were finally able to convince their parents that they were safe by having everybody (even folks in Camp Steuben) to vouch on it. It did the trick, but just barely.

"You'd better call every day," Mae said firmly through the phone.

"Of course!" Iris promised, smiling to herself as she said this.

"Alright and you look after Clover while we're away," Rusty added, though he knew already that Iris would do anything for her in the same way Clover would do anything for Iris.

"And please try not to get into so much trouble!" Lester pleaded. Iris laughed gently before promising all of this to each of her parents. Satisfied, Iris' family finally hung up.

Next, it was time for Iris and Jason to make amends. He had been the second person to find out about Iris coming home, thanks to Clover, but he had hardly been able to even get close to her because of how Clover was pretty much hoarding Iris all to herself. Jason even remembered that, although he had been there upon Iris' return, he could only stand back and greet her from afar because every time he tried to pry Clover off of Iris so that he could hug or kiss her, she would sock him in the arm. The ginger had since apologized for her actions, though it was clear that she did not regret them. She might've felt bad about hurting Jason, finally making peace with him over their mutual worry for Iris, but Clover still liked to say that she had loved Iris first and, thusly, had more of a right to her than Jason did. This was a huge fallacy, but neither Iris nor Jason thought it worth the trouble telling Clover that. Instead, they only encouraged her protectiveness over Iris and Iris just waited until Clover had finally calmed down in order to speak with her boyfriend.

"I'm really sorry I haven't always been there for you," he said honestly the moment they were alone together.

"It's ok, I know I'm not the easiest girl in the world to love," Iris replied gently.

"Well, you wouldn't be my girlfriend if you were," he smiled and, just for a moment, Iris saw a flash of that old boy she had fallen in love with those few months ago when they were both still apprentices.

"I've missed you," she told him sincerely, then she leaned up to kiss him and he reciprocated fiercely. For all of their squabbles, especially because of Jason's newfound maturity, the two still did genuinely love one another and that was just enough to help them in making amends.

But Iris wasn't the only one with all the happy reunions. Storm was getting her fair share of affection too, it was just from a far smaller pool of people. She had no one back in Denbar to reunite with and most of Camp Heath understood that, while it was fine if they congratulated her on her return, they were forbidden from trying to touch or hug her. This was in almost humorous contrast to Iris who hugged anyone who asked, but Storm was not Iris and she refused to be hugged by anyone, except Gale, Captain and Tempest. They were the only three able to cry and laugh over Storm's return, but they did enough of that to make up for how quiet everyone else seemed about Storm's return. What was even better than Storm's return, however, was how happy she seemed. Iris really had managed to bring out a new side in her.

"Like mentor like apprentice," Gale joked as he watched Iris tell her story. She had become a mini celebrity and was milking it for all it was worth. Storm, herself, had gone through something similar in her first few years at Camp Heath, though she had despised every moment of her fame and, as far as anyone knew, had never handed out a single autograph. Even now, Storm seemed disgusted by the vainglorious display Iris was putting on, but since she knew Iris was only having a bit of fun and wasn't going to let it go to her head, she let it slide this one time.

Captain, all the while, was masking a laugh. He'd never confess how he got Iris to sign the lapel of his iconic big red coat. He would confess, however, that he'd forgiven Grau and his men for nearly killing two of his soldiers twice. Especially after he learned that Venderwarp was the cause of part of it and that Iris was vouching for Grau. Again, Iris still feared the old man, but she understood him well enough now to get Captain to try making amends with him. Captain was just glad to have the sweet little apprentice back home where she belonged, and she had managed to bring a happier, healthier Storm back with her.

"I knew she'd be great," Captain whispered proudly as he watched the purple-eyed apprentice chatting it up with her friends while Storm watched her from afar with a gentle smile. It was a great night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So everyone is home safe and sound and Grau lives to see another day. What did you think? Should the battle have had another outcome?


	21. Iris' Soldier Ceremony

"Ready to be a soldier?" Storm asked her purple-eyed apprentice at the end of the month.

"Yes!" Iris answered eagerly. "I've been waiting forever for this day!" she gave a dramatic bow to an invisible audience. Iris had attended every monthly soldier ceremony that Camp Heath had, but this one tonight seemed even bigger just because it was her own. This was Iris' soldier ceremony. After six long months of hard work and raw dedication, Iris was finally receiving her dues and it was one heck of a feeling!

Storm couldn't mask a laugh at her little apprentice's antics. The joy, eagerness and hope that had once annoyed her now strengthened her. Watching Iris fantasize about the glories of full soldier-dome was touching and beautiful to the older soldier when it once had been obnoxious.

"Well, don't get too happy. It won't be as fun as you think," the blond joked. "It's no different than the ones they hold at the end of every month!"

"Let me enjoy the moment!" Iris pretended to be angry at Storm reminding her that it wasn't that exciting.

"Grow up," Storm clapped Iris playfully on the back.

"I am!" Iris said as she continued to pout.

"Well, you'd better learn to smile," Storm snickered. "The ceremony's in half an hour!"

"You're right!" Iris' pout turned into a real smile as she realized that her mentor was right. In just 30 minutes, she'd be a true part of the army!

Iris' soldier ceremony was awesome, just as she knew it would be. Everybody sat in the dining hall with Captain running the proceedings. All the apprentices stood at the front of the hall and listened to Captain's intro speech. Next, every apprentice said their oath of loyalty to the army and their camp. Then, following the oath, Captain welcomed them all officially into Camp Heath. Like Storm had said, it was really no different than any of the other soldier ceremonies before, but Iris just felt so full and fulfilled that nothing else could describe the feeling. This ceremony seemed so much more magical than all the others combined! She puffed out her chest as Captain began the readings.

"You have trained hard to understand the ways of our noble army and I commend you all as proper soldiers in your turn. Now I must ask, do you promise to serve and protect this country even at the cost of your life?" Captain asked, speech memorized after years of repeating it.

"I do," 20ish solemn voices echoed their leader's words.

"Then, in the name of Denbar, I give you your proper title," Captain told the apprentices. "From this moment on you will be known as full soldiers. Denbar honors your virtues and I welcome to you as a full soldier of Camp Heath!" Captain finished his speech and took a step back as the hall filled with the wild cheering of all the other soldiers as they received 20 new members into their ranks.

The rest of the night was devoted to party. The air was so full of warmth that Iris almost forgot that it was February.

"This is awesome!" Jason screamed, hooting and hollering like a madman even though his party had been a few months ago. It seemed that, just for this one night, Jason's childish side was returning to him. Iris watched him fondly and decided to ask him to dance later. It turned out to be a mistake as Jason was a terrible dancer, but then again, so was Iris. Both of them had two left feet, so there was no love lost between them over the dance. And the couple did make up for the lame dance with a lot of playful kisses and jokes.

Meanwhile, Clover was busy making out with Peter in the corner. Even though the two had cemented their relationship during the time Iris was gone, they had only really started getting into it this month. Iris only laughed at them in her delight, her arm still around her own boyfriend. She was finally a soldier! After six long months, she had achieved her biggest dream! She turned and noticed Storm raising her fist in triumph and Iris mirrored the gesture. The cold wind of February almost felt warm with the comradeship between the soldiers of Camp Heath, new and old.

Post-party, Iris was back in Storm's cabin for one last thing…

"Here," the blond offered Iris a small box.

"What is it?" the brunette asked, shaking it gently.

"Open it," Storm replied with a shrug. Iris gave her a wary look before obeying, removing the lid from the rest of the container. She gasped softly at what lay inside. It was a small and simple dagger, but it was so beautiful. It was a silver so shiny that it almost looked white and at its black leather hilt were two gems, an amethyst and an aquamarine. The symbolism couldn't have been more obvious if Storm had hit her over the head with it. Iris finally tore her eyes away from the beautiful weapon to meet Storm's in gratitude.

"There's a button at the hilt. It'll extend into a sword if you push it," Storm said, but Iris almost didn't hear her. "Gale helped me build it," she added, taking the dagger out of the box and pushing the button to demonstrate. Just like she'd said, the dagger's blade extended from about half a foot to two feet. Then, when Storm pushed the button again, the blade retracted back into its dagger form. She handed it to Iris.

"Oh, Storm," Iris breathed, tearing her eyes away from the dagger/sword once again to meet Storm's eyes.

"Don't get all sappy on me," Storm warned awkwardly, stepping back a bit. Iris only shook her head with an exasperated smile.

"I won't," she promised. "It's just… this is so beautiful," she caressed the silver blade, touching each gem gently. "Thank you."

"Anything for my apprentice," Storm joked with Iris.

"Well, your soldier," Iris corrected, sliding the dagger into the sheath it had been resting on.

"No, you're still an apprentice in my eyes," Storm snickered.

"Well, there's nothing else I'd rather be," Iris replied with a gentle smile, then she and Storm parted for the night, both smiling like idiots.

While Storm curled up in her bed, Iris was busy moving into her own new one in the soldier cabin. She was able to sleep by Jason once more and, of course, Clover was in the bed on her other side. Peter, being a month younger, still had one more ceremony to go until he could join the soldier cabin, but he promised that the moment he was old enough, he would return to his beloved Clover and the quartet would be whole again.

"Can you believe it?" Clover whispered as Iris finally joined her in their new cabins.

"Honestly, yes," Iris replied. "I know it seems like only yesterday we were just walking in here for the first time and I know that, even now, we still have so much to learn about the army, but I do feel like a real soldier. I feel like I've earned this..." Iris began to nod slowly in agreement with her own words. There was still something surreal about being a full soldier, which was what Clover was referring to, but at the same time, Iris really did feel like this was happening. There was no doubt about it. She was a full soldier, plain and simple.

"You're right about that," Jason agreed from her other side. "Just promise me that, now as a soldier, you won't do anything stupid again."

"That's a pretty big thing to ask Iris," Clover joked and Iris stuck her tongue out at the ginger, laughing as she did so. Ah yes, it had been a wonderful night and, already, Iris could feel that thing were shaping up to be even better in the coming days. The tiny brunette fell asleep with Storm's specially-made dagger-sword still in her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So that brings us to the end of Part One of this saga. I'll be posting the next part (next chapter) on July 1st. See you then and I hope you enjoyed!


	22. First Attack

Another season passed and finally, Iris saw her first real Noctifer invasion. She had been right in the middle of training with Storm when the distress call went up. Although she had been a full soldier of Camp Heath for two full months by this point, entering her third, she still trained with Storm every once in awhile just to keep her skills sharp and because she always enjoyed spending time with the mighty warrior woman.

"Come on, Iris! You've been at this for two whole months and I'm still stronger and faster!" she chided, swinging her sword over Iris' head.

"You've been doing this for 10 years!" the tiny brunette reminded the tall blond as she dodged the blow. "You've still got an unfair advantage! And you do still technically outrank me because you've been here longer and-!" Iris cut off quickly, yelping as she felt Storm's sword skim her ear.

"More swords, less mouth," Storm suggested with a wicked smirk to which Iris responded by thrusting her own sword forward. The moment Storm jumped backwards to dodge the blow, however, Iris swung her sword down and around, hitting Storm in the side.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Iris asked, smirk mirroring the one Storm had worn just seconds ago.

"You little-!" Storm exclaimed in mock anger. Iris only raised her chin proudly. That was when the signal went off.

"NOCTIFERS INBOUND ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CAMP!" someone shouted. Iris, Storm, and everyone else in the area turned their heads towards the direction of the beach. The Noctifers had come from the south? Iris turned back to Storm.

"Let's go," the blond replied to her unasked question. Then together, the pair followed the rest of Camp Heath in its charge towards the seaside.

Sure enough, standing on various spots around the shore, was a cluster of Noctifers. They snarled and snapped aggressively at the oncoming group of soldiers and anyone who dared get close ended up getting bitten at. It was a very intense moment. Already, commands were being thrown around the field as soldiers of every kind brandished an array of weapons, every person trying to get in at least one blow against these foul and hungry creatures. Iris and Storm were amongst those people, swinging their swords in perfect synchronization as they went after the first Noctifer they reached. It kind of looked like a wolf, large and hairy and walking on four massive paws. The only difference was that the fur was a very dark green and its eyes were a gleaming red.

The entire battle ended up lasting quite awhile, the camp having been caught off guard by the sudden attack. Most of the Noctifers were successfully kept back on the beach, but a few did manage to make it off the shore, through the woods, and into camp.

"I'm going after them!" Iris shouted to Storm over the roaring and the screaming. Storm nodded once, still busy with a Noctifer that resembled a badger. It was small but relentless. Iris quickly focused in on the creature's fat legs and took a short second to imagine the bone inside growing brittle and cracking away into dust. Suddenly, the badger-Noctifer stumbled. Iris smirked coldly before continuing to do as she had told Storm. She ran away from the shore and back to Camp Heath. Her purple eyes glowed brightly every step of the way, her Gift amplifying her speed.

Over the past few months, ever since the fiasco about the Gifted, Iris had been practicing her own long and hard. It was kind of difficult to do because she had no one to guide her or tell her exactly how her Gift worked, but the longer she spent trying to control it, the more naturally it came to her until it wasn't a matter of how to use it, but rather, how long she could use it before she tired out. She was able to decay things just by looking at them, like with the Noctifer badger, but it still took a lot of effort and, when she decayed remotely, she was only able to do a bit of damage. Her most powerful "attack move" was physically grabbing something and imagining that it would rot away in her hands. She had managed to kill a couple bushes and small forest animals this way. It sounded cruel, but how else was she supposed to practice? It wasn't like any Noctifers had been roaming around the forests lately. At least until today.

Besides, she made sure she only practiced her Gift at night or when she was entirely on her own. That way, no one would see her do it. Grau had sworn her to secrecy about her Gift, insisting that things would be easier and safer for her the less people knew. It hadn't been the most fun of prepositions, but Iris decided that she didn't mind not telling anyone about her Gift. Grau's logic was solid and, as selfish and childish as it was, Iris almost felt a kind of thrill about knowing that which no one else knew about. It was fun, in a wicked sort of way, to keep her Gift secret.

The only time Iris' Gift ever made a "public" appearance was during moments like this, during combat. Combat was a really good time to test her Gift because not only did it take her against a real threat that she didn't have to hold back on but, because it was combat, things and people were moving so quickly that no one had time to question why Iris' eyes would suddenly start to glow like little lights during random moments in the battle. No one even noticed that her eyes had illuminated to begin with. Oh yes, training during combat was Iris' favorite thing to do. She was hidden in plain sight, masked by the chaos of the fight.

Iris finally reached the heart of camp, assessing the damage. So far, not too much had been done to Camp Heath. The ground was pretty torn up, but every building was still standing and Iris couldn't see too many corpses so, even though this attack had been very much a surprise, Camp Heath had proven able to respond fast enough that it didn't lose too many soldiers. Iris was mighty proud of her camp in that moment. She then proceeded to jump into the fray without further ado, purple eyes still glowing as she raised her sword.

On and on the battle raged. It was a very fierce fight and, to Iris, it was a really big challenge, but at the same time, there was such a thrill to all of it. She loved the feeling of running and jumping through enemy lines, weaving in and out of focus as she destroyed them with the perfect mix of finesse and raw brutality. Battle was like a dance and even though Iris wasn't exactly good at dancing, this was one she enjoyed greatly. In fact, she got so carried away in the rhythm of it all that it was a surprise she hadn't started singing!

But, in the same way a dance could suffer a fall or a piece of music could go through a sudden change in key, so too could a battle. It was towards the ending fight when one of the last few Noctifers managed to take out one last soldier, sinking its enormous fangs into the soldier's throat and biting down hard with its powerful jaw. Such attacks of this nature had been going on all throughout the battle but what made this one different, at least for Iris, was the victim. This time, the soldier who had been so violently attacked had been Clover Eves.

One moment, Clover was in the background of the battle, moving as quickly and lightly as the shining saber she held. Just like Iris, she hadn't stopped fighting for a single moment, constantly on her feet and moving, killing Noctifer after Noctifer. So far, she'd helped Jason and Peter out too and was currently back in the heart of camp, trying to keep any of the wicked aliens from destroying any of the more important buildings there. She knew Iris was on the beach still and as nervous as it made her to be out of sightlines with her best friend, she had gained some confidence over the past nine-ish months and felt for certain that Iris was still very much alive and well, even though she had no way to prove it.

But then, sometime during the battle, Iris appeared. Clover was still fighting in the heart of camp when she saw Iris running towards the same vicinity, covered in sand from the beach. Clover grinned at Iris as she jumped into battle without a single hesitation. Iris was only a few paces away, practically a blur as she fought Noctifer after Noctifer with an unbelievable skill. Where the tiny brunette had garnered so much power was a mystery for the ginger. All she could say was that it was a pleasure to watch and an honor to be a part of and the two continued to fight side by side in this way for a good while more. As long as the battle had been, neither girl was going to give up any time soon.

Clover even began to make her way over to her old best friend at one point, intending to help her out more directly, but then the next thing she knew, her feet were no longer on the ground and there was an agonizing pain in her throat. Suddenly, there was just sticky stuff everywhere and she couldn't breathe or swallow or feel anything. She attempted to make a noise, but all that came out was one inaudible gargle before she suddenly found herself unable to control any part of her body. She felt herself being whipped around before hitting the ground and lying there on the dirt, body moving sporadically. Her vision came and went and the few details she could see were blurry and blotted out by something dark and warm and wet that was in her face. She could feel her mouth move, but she wasn't in control of it and nothing was happening. Nothing was going in or out that she could control.

One minute, Clover had been standing above the battle, moving with great speed and agility. The next, her whole world had been shifted and suddenly, it was an overload of the senses and nothing in her body was responding to her. Not even her brain was functioning and, as chaotic as everything was, almost nothing was registering with her anymore. It was like she was just a mindless robot whose main program had just been deleted halfway through its process, leaving the robot spinning in circles with no path forward. That idea of spinning with no path forward was especially apt for Clover's situation what with the information overload she was sensing, but still nothing was going all the way through her mind. No coherent or entire thoughts were being made even though her senses were being assaulted on all sides. Instead, it was only loud noises and sporadic visions and all these agonizing feelings in her throat and they seemed to go on and on and on in her muddled mind until they didn't.

Iris had seen it happen. Seeing a bright burst of red out of her peripheral. She turned towards the sudden arch of blood but, the moment she saw its source, it was like her own brain went on lockdown. Even though her mind was able to comprehend that it was Clover whose throat was currently stuck in the jaws of a Noctifer, the true intensity behind what this meant was lost on Iris. Instead, all she saw was her best friend of 13 years with a questioning smile still frozen on her face as she was launched sideways, dragged down by the Noctifer who had lunged at her in the first place. Iris watched her collapse and be shaken around until her neck was halfway severed, then her body hit the ground. It was hard for Iris to tell if she was dead or not because her body was still moving, but that might've been from the ground shaking due to the combat happening upon it. Instead, all Iris knew was what had happened in front of her, but none of it really seemed to mean anything to her. At least not at first…

But then, all at once, it just kind of clicked and the enormity of what she had witnessed finally sank in. Iris uttered a horrific cry that was so inhuman and un-Iris that it would've terrified the life out of anyone had they been listening, but since everyone was so wrapped up in their own battles, it was only Iris who heard herself scream. It was a guttural, feral noise that frightened her but was an entirely involuntary response. It was a noise of shock and horror, terror and surprise. She was suddenly swinging her sword again like a madwoman, chasing after the Noctifer that had done this, still roaring wildly as her mind alternated between visions of Clover's fallen body behind her and the fleeing Noctifer in front of her.

Iris continued to scream and cry as she finally caught up with the Noctifer, giving it a very violent death, before just freaking out entirely. By this point, the last Noctifer had been sent off running and the other soldiers of camp were finally able to regroup. When they saw Iris in hysterics, running back over to the place where Clover had fallen, it was all any of them could do not to fall into a similar state of grief. Already, some soldiers began mourning their dead while others could only stare in mute horror. These were the realities of war and everyone understood that, but to see it actually unfold was something else entirely. It was made even worse by the fact that it was just so sudden and had been after such a peaceful and happy time. To understand the true implications of this first attack as the Camp Heath soldiers, Iris in particular, did was something indescribable. Instead, as soldiers ran around to find their fallen friends, minds and bodies went numb every time a new comrade came up dead. The air filled with the sounds of grief and anger as more and more friends turned up.

It didn't take long for the rest of camp to mirror Iris' position, on her knees and cradling her best friend's already-cold body as she sputtered and sobbed, still uncomprehending of what all had just happened. There was gore everywhere and the tighter Iris held onto Clover, the worse it got, but the brunette was beyond caring at this point. All that mattered was Clover and how tightly Iris could hold onto her. Nothing else mattered. The only thing she could think of was that fact that, in just a split second due to the tiniest of lapses in concentration, her best and oldest friend was just suddenly gone forever and would never be with her again. One little arbitrary slip was all it had taken to change an entire world. One little misjudged glance and Clover had suddenly been knocked out of life into death before anyone could've blinked. One tiny lapse and a Noctifer had come out of nowhere, taking everything away from her and from Iris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So, after all the fun of last month and of last chapter, reality sets back in and we suffer our first real casualty of war. What a mood whiplash, eh?
> 
> (Side note: Thanks to anyone who read my 30 Days, 30 Stories fic. Even though only one person on any of the three fanfic sites reviewed anything, at least a few of you took the time to read my work. I guess that's all I'm getting from anyone. But I'm still gonna remind you: Please review!)


	23. Mourning

Suddenly, that whole month of May became a month of mourning. Death was not new to the soldiers, but that did not mean it was any easier to bear, especially after that time of relatively few attacks. It was a brutal awakening after a restful slumber. Now, with the battle over and eyes opened, it was time for the unpleasant task of regrouping. First, soldiers had to be found and healed.

"I want all medical staff in the hospital now," Captain choked out weakly. He was injured, but alive, still giving out orders with a firm hand and a cold voice. "I want every healthy soldier looking for their comrades wherever they can. Start sending out patrols!"

"Yes sir," Maxim replied. He was the most unscathed of all the soldiers, having been left out of the battle in order to send out warning calls and distress signals to the other army camps and to Denbar itself. But now, with the battle over, he was finally getting in on the action and he was to lead all of these rescue missions.

Then, once every surviving soldier had been rescued and placed in the hospital to be put under the immediate care of Dr. Lockewood, Peter and the others, it came time to clear away the dead. Maxim led the soldiers in this second rescue mission as well, though this one was less urgent and more somber as soldiers steeled themselves every time they found a body in case it had been too mangled or happened to belong to someone they had known. Iris had to be physically pried off of Clover's body.

"Come on, Iris, you've got to let go now," Storm said. She had spent the entire battle on the beach and when she got back to the main part of camp, she had initially been pleased with how little the camp itself had suffered, but the moment she realized that Iris was lying there in the center of camp, wailing over a bloody mass, all of that satisfaction was drained at once. Storm sprinted over to the tiny brunette, ignoring her injuries. She hadn't left Iris' side since then, only watching piteously as the brunette mourned her fallen best friend. Storm may not have been very close with the ginger girl, but she knew how much she had meant to Iris and Storm, callous as she was, could sympathize with Iris' grief. Believe or not, but the blond had suffered the deaths of several of her friends too.

She allowed the girl to cry for awhile but it couldn't last forever. Camp Heath need their help. Iris didn't have time to grieve yet.

"Come on, Iris, come away now," Storm repeated, voice unnaturally gentle as she continued to pry Iris away from Clover's mangled corpse. Iris' entire front was now covered in blood and gore, but Storm knew that none of it was Iris'. Selfish as it might've made her sound, this was a relief to Storm. Of course she felt bad for the ginger girl, but she was more relieved that Iris seemed unharmed in comparison.

Iris had fought Storm at first, not wanting to let go of Clover now or ever, but as Storm continued to coax her away and back into camp to help with reparations, the weaker Iris' grip on Clover became until she had let go entirely. Her eyes were vacant now, tears entirely spent for today, and she allowed Storm to lead her away from Clover and to where a mournful Captain stood, waiting to give his next orders to his weary soldiers as they continued the nightmarish cleanup.

Then, once the dead had been disposed of, buried in makeshift graves on the edge of camp, it came time to rebuild the camp itself. That was the one plus in all of this. Although the Noctifer attack had taken everyone on total surprise, the soldiers had been quick enough to defend their camp. Yeah, losses were dishearteningly high, but the buildings of camp had not suffered too terribly. Captain tried to use that as motivation for his soldiers, but it was clear they were still too grieved by the dead and injured to take any joy in the fact that they had saved Camp Heath.

"Just keep having Chief send in medical help," Captain told Maxim with a weary sigh when nobody respond to his weak victory speech.

"Yes sir," Maxim replied, bowing sharply to his leader and husband. Captain's eyes stung with tears and Maxim saw this, the tears glittering in the sunlight. All at once, his face softened up just a little and he opened his arms. Captain launched into them at once, heavy-set shoulders heaving as he mourned. He sobbed, whimpering into Maxim's muscled shoulder.

"There, there," the deputy consoled with more tenderness than anyone had ever heard before. Maxim wasn't foolish enough to tell Captain that things would be ok, but even he had a sense of compassion and was willing to at least offer Captain the support he needed in this moment.

Callous as Maxim was, he did truly love his husband and would do anything to cheer Captain up. It was what made him such a good deputy and spouse. He was highly supportive, going as far as to allow Captain to weep on his shoulder for a moment. As fierce as Captain was, that man's heart was huge and this loss had been devastating to him. Maxim's comforting arms were just what he needed and all that he wanted right now, so he allowed himself to mourn as Maxim stroked his wild brown hair and occasionally kissed his cheek comfortingly. Captain snuggled deeper into his arms, basking in the feeling of Maxim's strong arms around his body. It felt nice to be held every once in awhile. It felt nice to get comfort instead of always having to give it.

It didn't take long for the dead to be disposed of or the camp to be restored, but it took a very long time for people to heal their scars, physically and emotionally. Iris, Captain, Maxim and Storm weren't the only mourners, after all. Tempest and Gale were grieving fiercely too, several of their close friends having followed Clover's path and Jason was beside himself with grief although he had not lost anyone he was too close to. His mother, like Maxim, had been kept out of the deadlier war zones and had survived. It was to her eternal relief that Jason was mostly ok, not fatally or permanently injured in anyway, but she could see it in the way he was shaking and crying that this battle had been a devastating blow emotionally. Her poor baby boy! As brave and wise as he was, he was still only just that. A boy. As heroic as he could be, he was not heartless and his heart ached for the fallen and their surviving, grieving friends. Jason had not left his mother's side even once following the battle, just crying and following her around like a lost puppy. She let him, tears springing into her own eyes when she saw how broken he looked.

The only boy with eyes sadder than Jason that Dr. Lockewood knew well was Peter. That poor boy had practically stopped functioning after Iris came to him with the news that Clover was dead. At first, he had not believed it. Even after seeing her body, it hadn't sunk in. It was clear, though, that the longer the news sat in his mind, the more Peter began to believe. As much as he wanted to deny it, his grip on that fantasy began to slip away. He was now in that odd limbo between dreaming and waking where half of the things he did indicated that he understood that Clover was gone and he was mourning her. The other half of the things he did, though, indicated that he was certain this was all only a nightmare and could be easily fixed by waking up. If only it were that simple. The rest of camp was forced to watch as this brilliant and brave boy became but a shell of his former self, half convinced that Clover was still alive and half grieving for her gory death.

But it wasn't even the soldiers who were suffering. Of course, following that first battle, reports were filed. It didn't take long for all of Denbar to know the gristly details of the battle and to know the names of every soldier who had fallen in it. Three in particular had been utterly crushed by the news that Clover was dead. Those three were, of course, Iris' parents and Clover's father. He had taken it the worst of all. Iris was given just a few days off, after big reparations were over, to go visit her family, and the entire few days were spent crying.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Iris gasped through violent sobs, on her knees in front of Rusty. He could only collapse, joining Iris on the floor and hugging her tightly, unable to say even a single word other than his daughter's name over and over again. Lester and Mae were in a similar state, having viewed Clover as a daughter just as much as Iris because of how intertwined the girls had been with each other.

Once again, the trio tried desperately to get Iris to come home, but as emotionally broken as she was, Iris' resolve to stay in the army had not changed in the slightest.

"I have to go back," she rasped once her mourning time with family was up. "If I leave, as safe as that may make me, it'll only endanger Denbar that much more and if Denbar is in danger, so it everyone else. I know you guys need your daughter back, but you need a world for her to live in too. She won't have that if she doesn't go back," Iris finished. She wasn't sure where those words had come from, but she knew in her heart that they were true. She had the freedom to go home if she wished, but it would be better to remain in the army and keep fighting. Her family knew this as well and so, with great reluctance, they allowed her to go back once again.

"Just don't forget, you always have a home to come back to here," Lester whispered to her upon the day she was to leave again. Iris could only nod, tears already threatening to overwhelm her again. Mae was only clinging to her silently, rubbing a hand up and down Iris' back and nuzzling her hair. She was crying softly and unable to speak. Iris tried not to think about that fact for too long because it tore her up inside too. Rusty had come along for the farewell but Iris still couldn't bring herself to look at him. At least not until he touched her face.

"Don't forget that I love you like my own daughter and I don't blame you for what happened. Not even a little, not for one single second," he whispered. Iris whimpered in reply. "Take care," he added, then he gave her one last hug and she was able to keep a brave face on for just a moment more before spending the entire ride back south in tears.

Iris returned at the same time a few others did. Captain had allowed multiple soldiers to go home to grieve, giving each of them a few days off before bringing them back and sending a few more soldiers out in a kind of cycle. That way, everyone got to go home for at least a little, but there were no massive changes in soldier count. When Iris returned, Peter was headed home. Iris could see from the way his head was hung that he didn't intend upon coming back. Iris could only stare sadly into his eyes and whisper out an apology.

"Don't," he replied with a pained smile. "She told me how you were the best thing to ever happen to her. How can you possibly say you were to blame for what happened? I wouldn't have done anything different…" he pulled her in for an embrace that she returned willingly. She would never see his face again in this life for he would end up killing himself only a couple weeks later after returning home.

With Peter gone, that meant there was one less doctor in camp. Of course, he did have the consideration to wait until every soldier was stabilized before leaving, but his absence created a large void within the medical part of camp. Jason ended up having to take his place because, even though Jason hadn't technically ever trained in being a doctor, having the chief doctor as a mother meant that he had a fair idea of what to do in most cases. Until a temporary doctor could be sent in from Denbar, Jason was going to fill in for Peter. This meant that he and Iris had less time to spend together, both of them so busy with either healing the injured or constantly going on patrols to make sure nothing else was coming. This lack of seeing each other, combined with their already intense grief and conflicted, broken mindsets meant that their relationship did not last. Sure, some lovers were able to stand together through a trial. Iris and Jason were just not amongst that number.

"You're never there for me!" Iris accused Jason one night, crying yet again.

"I'm sorry!" Jason spat back, but he was crying too. "But I've got other people to look after!"

"I'm not asking for you to do more than just talk!" Iris pleaded. "I know you're busy! I haven't asked for any of your time and I don't mind that we don't hang out as much as we used to, I just wish you'd listen!" she was referring to how, ever since Jason took over for Peter, he seemed more unwilling to listen to Iris' mourning than before. During the first couple days of mourning, Jason had been incredibly supportive, trying to help Iris sort through her feelings, but by the end of May, he continually tried to change the topic whenever she felt the urge to mention Clover again.

"I'm sorry, but I just don't want to talk about it anymore!" he cried.

"But I do!" Iris shouted back.

"Then find someone who wants to listen!" he replied. It had been a cruel thing to say, but spending his days caring for wounded soldiers who were constantly crying out for the help he was trying to offer was taking a toll on his mental health. Listening to Iris cry for him only served to remind him how unsuccessful he had been in treating every patient he'd ever come across. Listening to Iris' problems depressed him and he was already starting to suffer from depression just because of all of the broken people who had come across his path. He didn't mean to sound so cruel, but he just couldn't listen to Iris' grief anymore. He feared that, if he did continue to listen, it would consume him too and he'd never escape.

On the flip side, although Iris understood why Jason wouldn't want to talk about Clover, especially over and over again, Iris really couldn't help it. As many times as she'd spoken about how she felt, it just never felt like enough and although even she acknowledged that she was getting repetitive, any time she tried to talk about something new, it always came back to Clover. No matter what she tried to talk about, something always reminded her over Clover and it was all she could talk about. She hated it about herself, but she understood that was how grief worked. Often times, when a person suffered some kind of severe trauma, even after the trauma ended, they would find themselves unable to talk about anything else. Repetition was the mind's way of sorting it all out. It was just Iris' misfortune that Jason was dealing with his own deep issues at the moment and was unable to look after both his own health and Iris'.

Thus was the end of their relationship. It was a tragic thing to think about, but neither of them could hold on any longer. Try as they did, it just wasn't working anymore and neither of them felt happy with the relationship. It was only common sense that they should just call it quits and stop going back and forth between love and hate. Sure, severing the ties would hurt, but so would this back-and-forth game. Breaking up was just like ripping off a band-aid in this case. But neither Jason nor Iris was bitter with the other. It was a mutual breakup, each side feeling equally guilty and broken, but each understood why it had to happen. The understanding that they might've still been together had this tragedy not torn them apart was an irony that haunted them both every single day. Had that one battle not happened, they might've still been a happy couple. But life had a strange way of showing just how fragile and changeable it was and Iris and Jason both finally broke up.

"I'm sorry," Iris whimpered as she told Jason she was leaving him. She made sure to do it when they were alone and had gone through careful consideration first. This was a big deal. Iris did want to save their relationship, but she instinctively knew she couldn't. Something had changed for both of them and their romance was no longer compatible the way it used to be. It was a sad thought, but the truth couldn't be denied.

"I guess it's ok," Jason replied, sorrow evident in his face and voice, but he didn't protest at all. He pulled away from her with a broken look and Iris was barely able to hold it together as he gave her one last kiss. Both of them cried that night, mourning another loss amongst the sea of grief they were already drowning in, but at the same time, neither of them made any plans to get back together.

The intense period of mourning for everything consumed Iris until she hardly cared about anything anymore. She still woke up every day and did as she was told, carrying out her soldiering duties faithfully, but it was evident that her heart wasn't in it. She never failed a single mission, but there was no real focus or fire in her anymore, only a hollow and endless grief that took away her sense of joy and purpose. Without meaning to, she receded into herself and forgot how to care for herself. She became less and less outgoing as more and more ties were severed between her and her friends. Finally, Storm was the only one who could even get Iris to talk. The two had stayed close even though Iris no longer saw Storm constantly because, as soldiers, both had individual duties.

Through the whole mourning process for Clover, Storm stayed at Iris' side as often as she could, only placing her soldiering duties above Iris. This meant she sacrificed a lot of personal time in order to be with Iris if ever Iris needed a companion or confidante. If anybody dared ask why the stoic blond was being so sweet, they got punched in the eye before Storm would lead her tiny friend off with a long arm draped protectively around her sagging shoulders.

But things didn't stay so miserable forever. As the summer rolled in, everything and everybody warmed up. Though there were plenty more attacks, not a single one was as bad as the first one fewer and fewer casualties followed every battle. Finally, Camp Heath was healing and it was learning to feel the power of hope, even in the face of death and war. The camp's strength and prowess was returning and every battle became just a bit easier than the last.

Then, on a more individual level, Camp Heath inhabitants were healing too. Iris was becoming more like her old, bubbly self again and Jason, even though he never formally reconnected with Iris, was getting over the heartbreak of Iris dumping him.

"I'm glad to see you smiling again," he told Iris awkwardly over one breakfast.

"Me too," she answered, voice soft and meaningful. Jason gave her one longing look and she exchanged it, but both instinctively knew there was no turning back in their romance, but both began to heal. Jason found the guilt of failing Iris to be decreasing every day and Iris found her confused pining over her love for Jason to be decreasing as well. As regretful as both of them felt for ending their romance, neither of them had any intention of going back. They said it was over, so it was over. Their friendship would never change, but they would not be able to return to their old lives. Whatever might've bloomed between them had been cut off and all they could do now was make the best of what life offered them from then on.

Rusty also began to heal. He was still lost without Clover, but he was speaking again and seemed to comprehend the world around him instead of being lost in his delusions. His sanity was restoring itself. He still missed his daughter terribly, but he called Iris to assure her that he was doing much better than before and that Mae and Lester were taking good care of him. It was a relief for Iris to hear that.

The whole camp was forever changed, but people were happy and hopeful again. They were healing. The mourning was ending. The grief was still there, but its sting was fading. Iris was improving most of all. She'd reverted back to daily training with Storm and Storm, who was more than happy to have an excuse to be with Iris, took her in willingly. This was good for Iris. It was improving her mindset by bringing her back to simpler times. Storm was good for Iris just the way Iris had been good for her last year when Storm, herself, was lost in a depression.

"Keep going," Storm urged with a gentle yet convicted voice. Iris only nodded and climbed higher still. She knew Storm would always catch her, so she wasn't afraid to face the tree on which she was climbing. Storm only watched with a tiny smile on her face, this scene reminding her so much of their time together when Iris was still an apprentice. And as Storm clearly recalled, Iris survived apprenticeship. Storm knew that the tiny brunette would survive this too and she promised to be with the girl every step of the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Just a bit of weepin' and wailin' for the fallen and a realization that things are about to heat up a bit on the battlefield.


	24. Camp Reed

Towards the middle of June, about a month and a half after the first attack, Captain finally called for a transfer mission to take place. The whole of Camp Heath perked its ears in interest at such a prospect. Even though the Noctifers had become a constant threat again, as far as anyone knew, nobody had actually requested for soldiers to be moved from camp to camp yet. But now it looked like that was changing.

"I received a call from Camp Reed last night!" the large man made the announcement over breakfast. "They have requested some help in capturing a live Noctifer for study and guess who they chose to help?" Captain paused as Maxim handed him a list. He was about to read off the names of the soldiers chosen to go on this capture mission.

Iris was only half listening, idling with the food on her plate as she wondered who would go. From what Captain was describing, this would be a battle-based mission. If that were the case, Storm would probably be one of the chosen soldiers. After all, there was no better fighter in all of Denbar than Storm. She was a must-have to anyone tackling an ambitious and physical feat such as capturing and containing a Noctifer.

The tiny brunette knew she ought to be happy that things were finally picking up enough that missions were being called and things were changing, but a selfish part of her heart was angry at the thought of Storm being taken away from her. Storm was supposed to be her confidante! It wasn't fair of Camp Reed to call her away while Iris was still in desperate need of her care! The purple-eyed soldier was still grieving heavily for her best friend. She wasn't ready for Storm to leave her all alone yet! But of course, Iris knew that there was nothing she could do about it and that her own thoughts of Storm were rather selfish. It might be unfair to drag Storm away from Iris, but it would be way more unjust to keep Storm from helping Denbar all because of one soldier's selfish desires. So Iris only heaved a sigh and listened as Captain read off the names of his chosen soldiers. Sure enough, Storm was one of the first names called. What a surprise. But then Captain continued down his list…

"Iris Long!" he read off. Iris dropped her fork in genuine surprise.

"Me?" she gasped to herself, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened to her. But before she could think on it too hard, Captain began dismissing his chosen soldiers to go get ready and head out. Captain always had soldiers who were going on missions leave breakfast first so the majority of camp would be empty enough for them to do what they had to do quickly before heading off. Today was no exception and Iris quickly ran back over to the soldier cabins and packed her bags. She was able to get done in record time since everybody else was still in the dining hall. The whole time, though, she was still trying to comprehend the fact that she was to join in on this capture-mission. It really had been a total shock. It was the first mission she'd gone on since the one from Grau back when she was still an apprentice. Although one could technically classify that as a summons since she was the only one requested to go. This was a more generic and general mission, one leader just calling in a squad of soldiers for a very basic task as opposed to Grau specifically targeting Iris for her Gift. If one looked at it like that, this was her very first mission.

But Iris finally pushed those thoughts from her head and joined the rest of the group where they were assembling at the heart of camp. She had no clue why she was being sent along on this mission, but the deed was done either way, so there was no point in worrying.

"-get there, regardless of whether or not we're launched into instant combat, I still expect all of you to maintain your ranks until I say otherwise," Maxim was busy drilling the soldiers who were already waiting at the center of camp. He had been one of the chosen ones too.

"We know," one of them deadpanned. Maxim's dark eyes narrowed dangerously, but when he couldn't find the culprit, he was forced to let it go. He continued to lecture the small troop as Iris and the others walked over, but once everyone was in attendance, he ended his lecture at once.

"We're all here!" he declared the moment the final soldier arrived, bag strapped to her back. Maxim hadn't taken a verbal roll, but he already had his entire squad memorized and could tell, just from one sweeping glance, that everyone was finally together. They could make their leave now.

"I thought he'd never shut up," Storm grunted as the small party of soldiers headed north to the camp's exit and the subway's entrance.

"I hope he doesn't lecture us the whole way over," Iris agreed. She'd only heard the last couple minutes of Maxim going over the rules but she was still already sick of him. Storm, who'd had the misfortune of being the first soldier ready to go, had endured the entirety of it. Every little last word of it. Her face contorted in horror at the thought of Maxim proceeding to lecture them on etiquette and mannerisms for another two hours.

"If he does," the blond decided, "I'm going to throw him out of the subway cart. I don't care what anyone else may say or do."

"I'm pretty sure everyone else would thank you," Iris replied with a grim grin. It was rather cruel of her to say, but there were moments when Maxim's drill sergeant side could be a bit unnecessary and she, herself, wouldn't mind 'accidently' losing Maxim if it meant he would get off his high horse for more than half a second. Storm laughed at Iris' remark and nudged her playfully. Ok, so this mission was going to be painfully long because she was going to have to put up with Maxim for the whole of it, but at least she had Iris. Iris would make the mission better. The blond silently thanked Captain for allowing her to come. Besides, it would do the tiny brunette some good to get out of Camp Heath for a bit.

And it was no secret that Maxim and Storm hated each other. Maxim found Storm to be far too wild, impulsive, loud, aggressive, and fast-acting to be anything other than a glorified child. Maxim was a man who valued slowness, thought, planning and decorum. Of course he'd butt heads with the army's most battle-ready soldier. But this disdain was mutual. Storm found Maxim to be far too slow, stuffy, grandiose, and pretentious to see him as anything other than some old fuddy duddy in a suit who was all bark and no bite. Sure, Maxim was the camp's second in command, but Storm knew for a fact that he'd seen the least amount of battle when compared to other soldiers. He was just too by the book for Storm's taste and these massive discrepancy caused a lot of grief between the two of them.

They'd had countless arguments over the years and never once agreed upon anything. If Storm made a proposal of attack, Maxim was sure to tell her about all flaws in her plan. If Maxim made a proposal of attack, Storm was sure to tell him about all the logical fallacies in his plan. Back and forth was their mutual distaste and fundamental disagreements. The one thing they did share in common was their affection for Captain, who found their quarreling to be tedious but impossible to stop. Storm was just too ready to fight and Maxim too ready to defend. Camp Heath's leader had long-since given up on trying to get them to make peace. Instead, he just tried to keep them apart. Far apart.

But this mission was an exception, both of them having been requested by Camp Reed. Captain could only hope the two didn't kill each other in the time they'd be gone. In fact, that was part of the reason Captain sent Iris too. Part of it was, like Storm had noted, because it would be good for Iris to be out and about. It would be good for her to see the world and take her mind off of Clover. But the other part was so that the girl could use her strange and mysterious charm on Storm to keep her from doing something regrettable to his husband. Captain knew full well of the bond between Storm and Iris and he was hoping that Iris would be able to keep Storm in check.

Iris, herself, wasn't too terribly fond of the deputy either though. Her hatred wasn't nearly as all-consuming as Storm's, but Iris still could see every negative trait that Storm had ever pointed out in him. Sure, Maxim was a good deputy, but he could be impossibly strict and stuck up. War or not, there were moments when that man could've been a little bit nicer and humbler.

"Soldier! Why are your eyes purple?" Maxim had demanded of Iris the very first time they ever stood face to face. Although Iris had heard this question asked with many different inflections, ranging from surprise to fear to awe to simple curiosity, Maxim's tone sounded accusatory. It was like he somehow thought that Iris had done this to herself and he was demanding to know how and why. Iris briefly considered telling him that she'd injected her eyelids with some special serum back when she was a kid, but she knew that this would only prompt Maxim to say something along the lines of, "Kids these days! Changing their eye colors to match the latest trends!" So she only gave him her standard answer instead.

"I was born this way," she said, but in the same way Iris had heard questions about her eyes asked in an array of different tones, Iris could answer in an array of different tones. Usually, her tone would be very frank and explanatory, maybe even apologetic if the question had been asked in concern or fear. But today? Her tone was biting, challenging. It was like she was daring Maxim to question her so rudely again. It was quite a bold thing for her to do, but Maxim backed off after that and every other interaction between them had been incredibly short and formal. Iris respected Maxim, she just didn't like him. There was a difference. He'd had no right to talk so rudely to her and act as though her eye color was her fault. True, it could've been, but he didn't need to demand an answer from her like she was some criminal or little kid! She hadn't changed her eye color for any fashion trend, even if Maxim thought she had. But so what? Say Iris had chosen to have purple eyes? There was nothing wrong with body modification, whether it be surgery, piercing or tattoo. Maxim didn't have to act like fashion and following trends was something only an immature person did. It was her body and her life, it was her choice.

Luckily, though, Maxim did not lecture during the long ride over to Camp Reed, nor did he eye Iris' purple orbs with any kind of disdain or suspicion. Instead, he sat right beside the door, engrossed in a book. Everyone else was either resting, chatting idly, or messing around on whatever they had brought for fun, whether it be book or phone. Iris was one with a phone, listening to her music as the subway spend on. She was trying to distract herself from the thought that they may be walking right into another Clover situation. Even though Iris had been grieving for two months already, the pain had only lessened slightly. Contrary to what most people, even Storm, believed, Iris wasn't grieving any less. Instead, she was just better at hiding it and crying alone when no one could see or hear her. She still missed Clover more than words could say and just thinking about the ginger sent a bolt of pain through Iris' chest. She closed her purple eyes and lost herself to the music of her phone. She wouldn't cry here, in front of everyone else. The tears would have to wait until nightfall.

Storm, who sat right beside her, only meditated in silence. Storm might've had the reputation for having a very short temper, which she did, but she would meditate every once in awhile, displaying an unnatural sense of calm. Everything and nothing ran through her mind as she reclined in her seat with her blue eyes shut, the subway humming around her. Bits of memory swirled in and out of idle thoughts and as the ride carried on, more and more of those thoughts turned to the tiny brunette sitting right beside her.

Storm initially had declined to go on this mission just because she hated Maxim Roths that much, but when Captain said that Iris would be going, Storm decided to follow up. She didn't want a miss a chance to be with the tiny brunette. She really did see herself as Iris' caretaker and knew that the girl was still grieving heavily for Clover even if she didn't show it. When she told Captain this, though, it had garnered her a fair bit of teasing and although it made her blood boil, he had a point. Storm had also come to see Iris as a friend and not just a worthy comrade or someone she had to look after. It was evident in the little things they did together, like chatting or play-sparring. It was more than just a bond between soldiers, it was a bond between friends. The blond supposed it stemmed from a sense of respect and gratitude for all the sacrifices Iris had made for her, proving that she did have a good head on her shoulders and that she was willing to die for Storm even though they hadn't been friends at the time. Storm was determined to prove to Iris she felt the same. It was the only reason she was going on this mission to Camp Reed. If Iris was there, Storm would be close behind. That was how it had been since their very first mission and that was how it would always be. Now Storm hoped that she would survive this mission without accidently killing the smug jerk that she called her deputy…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry for such a late update. I've been busy with getting ready for college. I've posted TWO chapters to make up for it and will hopefully be back on a steadier schedule soon. Thanks for your patience.
> 
> Also, this chapter merely served to bring us into the next part of the saga and introduce the third of the army camps. It's high time Iris got some action again after like five or six months in Camp Heath. Read on for more about Camp Reed and its leading family. They're an interesting lot, I'll tell you.


	25. The Mapp Family

Luckily, Storm was able to survive the two-hour ride to Camp Reed, even though she was in such close proximity to Maxim. It was only the feeling of Iris pressed up against her that kept her sane and calm the whole ride.

"I still can't believe I'm going to be stuck with him for this whole mission!" the blond grunted as she and everyone else filed out of the subway.

"Oh, you'll be fine!" Iris chided gently. "Besides, at least you have me!" she added cheekily.

"That I do," Storm agreed seriously, then she and Iris walked up the stairs to the surface world side by side.

"Whoa!" Iris breathed the moment she was above ground once again. She'd seen pictures of Camp Reed many times before, but to see it in real life was something else entirely. The whole camp was situated on a mountaintop and where the subway had left them was right at the base. The very first thing anyone trying to enter Camp Reed would see would be the massive and imposing mountain face, staring impassively down at them. Iris always knew she was incredibly tiny, but she felt positively microscopic now and even people like Storm and Maxim were nigh invisible when compared to the overall height and girth of the Camp Reed mountain.

Maxim had been to Camp Reed many times before, however, so even though he did find their mountain quite majestic, he wasn't as awestruck as some of the newbies like Iris. Instead, he strode forward until he was standing inches from the mountain's face. He pushed a few stones, that Iris realized were buttons, and a giant section of the mountain opened up. It was a door and that door led into an elevator. Thank Denbar! Iris had worried that they might've had to climb all the way up…

"Some people have climbed up," Storm told Iris later. "But it takes between one and two weeks, based on your current fitness."

"Yeesh," Iris grunted, but it made sense. Camp Reed's mountain was 10,000 feet tall. This meant even the elevator, running at about 20 mph, still took nearly six minutes to reach the peak. There was cheesy old music playing from a speaker in the wall for the whole six minutes.

Once the group reached Camp Reed itself, Iris' breath was taken away again, partly from awe and partly from the decrease in atmospheric pressure. The Camp itself was surprisingly large and sprawling. Iris would've assumed that being on a mountain peak would've meant that they were tight for space, but no, buildings could be incredibly tall and it appeared that the mountain itself was larger than it seemed. There was more up on the mountain peak than Iris had expected. In addition, Iris was certain that she saw a few people rising straight up out of the ground. How much of the camp was in the mountain itself? Either way, it was a very impressive set up. Maxim nodded appreciatively at Iris' awe.

"They are wonderful engineers and technical designers. Their architecture is infallible!" he said.

"Your arrogance is infallible!" Storm whispered in reply. If Maxim heard, he said nothing. Instead, he led the group onward to the biggest building, right in the center of the mountain peak and facing out to where the subway was. Maxim pushed open the steel doors that framed the steel building and led the way down a very clean and clear hallway.

At the end of that hallway was a receptionist desk and at the desk sat a handsome young man with short dark hair and brownish eyes.

"Ah, are you the Camp Heath representatives?" he asked.

"Yes," Maxim replied with a firm nod.

"Excellent! Our leader is a bit busy right now, so I'm going to be your escort. My name is Rexus Alreth," the young man said. "Now, follow me this way," he stood up from the desk and gestured for the Camp Heath crowd to follow him back outside.

A few minutes later, the large group stood at the base of one of the smaller buildings on the mountaintop.

"This, as you can tell, is the sleeping area," Rexus said as he pushed the doors open. "You guys have half of the bottom floor reserved to you," he added, handing everyone keys as they filed in. Once everyone was inside, Rexus placed himself back at the front of the group. "Like I said, our leader is busy right now, so you guys have the rest of the afternoon to just get situated here. We'll give you more details over dinner, ok? Any questions?" Rexus waited, but when nobody had anything to ask, he excused himself, leaving the Camp Heath group to their own devices.

The hall in which they stood was long and plain, doors lining either side. Each room had a bed, desk and nightstand that doubled as a dresser. They were very small and plain, constantly empty because the ground floor was used for guests.

"Not bad," Iris muttered as she picked her room, tossing her bag onto the dresser before just lying back on the bed and taking a moment to rest. She was still very curious to know who the leader of this camp was. From what she knew, the leading family consisted of a mother, father, daughter and son, but she didn't know who they were so she wouldn't have recognized them anyway. Oh well. It sounded like dinnertime would show the big reveal. For now, it was just unpacking, but that hardly took 10 minutes because of how small the rooms were.

Eventually, however, it was time to head to dinner. Camp Reed's dining hall was far more futuristic than Camp Heath's cafeteria. Here, everything was pristine and bright white, except for the walls, which were painted a dark blue. Every meal was served through multiple lines running through a kitchen, served upon a steel tray. What really made it oddly impressive, though, was the meals themselves. Based on dietary needs, people were directed to certain areas in the hall. Sure, every other camp had a similar method of feeding its soldiers, for example, Camp Heath had special lines for those with allergies or intolerances and there was a place for vegans and vegetarians to find food they liked and those who preferred gluten-free meals had their own place as well, but Camp Reed took it to another level. There were calorie counts on every single item available and every food was sorted by what it was specifically. For example, there was one salad line, but every single lettuce was labeled as to what kind of lettuce it was and how it had been raised. There were also menus that advised what someone should eat and how much of it they should eat based upon physicality.

"Must they make everything so fancy?" Iris asked as she sat down with her tray of a specially designed meal of a small steak, several greens, and one whole-grain roll.

"It's Camp Reed. Of course they're going to take any chance they can to display their intelligence, even if it has to do with what you shove into your pie hole," Storm replied, sitting down with a meal that matched Iris', save that her steak was slightly larger and she had more greens and less grains. She also had several fruits. But, despite how creepy it was to have such a finely tailored meal, the food was pretty good.

"I'll bet they don't believe in dessert," Iris muttered as she finished her food. Camp Heath always allowed small luxuries like sweets.

"Sometimes they do," Storm replied, having finished her own meal a few minutes ago. "It's just not a nightly thing. The closest you get are the Health Sweets, but those aren't very good…" the blond made a face. She may not have had an enormous sweet tooth, unlike Iris, but she had tried some of the everyday desserts here at Camp Reed and they weren't too amazing.

A moment later, a man at the head of the dining hall stood up and every person fell silent at once. There was just something about the way that he held himself, something about the way his dark blue eyes swept calculatingly across the large room, that screamed power, authority, pride, and severity that silenced everyone at once. This was not a man to trifle with, despite his relatively lithe appearance. He wasn't scrawny or lanky, per se, but he certainly wasn't any sort of muscle man, though, Iris was more scared of this man than she might've been of a muscle man. There was just too much confidence, wisdom and power here to think that this man wasn't capable of putting up a heck of a fight if necessary.

"Soldiers!" the man began after the dining hall silenced entirely. "As you all know, we are currently formulating a way to break into our enemy lines! It is our plan that we will lure a few of these monsters out of hiding. We'll trap them, study what they're made of, study what they're afraid of. Then, once we have it, we'll use it against them and victory will be ours!" the man paused as the crowd cheered. "But first things first," he continued, silencing them all at once again. "We must catch these creatures. That is why I have called upon this small troop from Camp Heath. They will help lead us to victory. For that, I request that you all now give them a hearty thanks!"

The man stopped speaking, but gestured his arm out to the table where the Camp Heath soldiers had congregated. The whole dining hall was filled with appreciative shouts and claps again, but Iris' purple eyes were still firmly locked on the man. His voice was very standard, but there was some deep quality about it that made it resonate throughout the hall, reaching every corner but not quite echoing around. It was like his own voice was saying, "Ok. It's me speaking. You only need to hear it once because I know that, when I talk, you'll all listen on the first time." His voice was loud and clear, but the moment he stopped talking, his entire voice stopped. There was no echo. It was just one, quick, piercing speech, clean and clear. It was a voice just as sharp and intimidating as its owner.

"What a guy!" Iris marveled as he sat back down, moving gracefully while keeping a very stern expression upon his lined face.

"Isn't he?" Maxim almost sounded love struck. His eyes also had yet to leave the fierce and fearsome man. Iris, however, was not surprised that Maxim, of all people, would be looking at the man with such fondness and respect. The two were very similar in terms of how they carried themselves and how they interacted with others. Already, Iris had the feeling that this guy wasn't exactly the warm and friendly type and she could tell that he didn't smile very often. Just like Maxim. No wonder Maxim looked so infatuated.

"What was his name, anyway? I didn't catch it," Iris asked, turning away from the fierce-looking man.

"Northson Mapp. He's the patriarch of the Mapp family," Storm answered this time, disdain dripping from her voice. In the same way that Maxim revered Northson because Northson reminded him of himself, Storm disdained him for the same reason.

"The Mapp family," Iris echoed. "They're the leading family, right? Northson has a wife and two kids, right?"

"Yes," Storm confirmed, lip still curled in distaste. "His wife is Southlynn and the kids are, bear with me now, Eastla and Westford."

"You've got to be kidding me," Iris failed to bite back a laugh. "That can't be true!"

"It is," Storm started to grin, happy that someone else found the Mapp family name-scheme to be just as ridiculous as she did. "And did you know that the leader before Northson was named Cardinal Rose and that Northson's real name used to be Chucky Buttz?" she added, laughing harder.

Iris could only laugh and shake her head at this point. She wasn't sure what amused her the most, Camp Reed's running gag of map names, Northson agreeing to go along with the pun names even to the point of naming his children after the cardinal directions of east and west, or the fact that Northson probably agreed to the pun names because his birth one wasn't exactly the best. It was just so funny to imagine such a fierce man with such a stupid name, then proceeding to give his own children some pun-based names as well.

"Alright, that's enough of that!" Maxim admonished the snorting, snickering soldiers. "You ought to show more respect for the Mapp family! Northson is a brilliant thinker and a brave fighter!"

"He's also a terrible namer," Storm snorted. Iris, who had tried to stop laughing because Maxim did have a point that it wasn't nice to laugh at people, started to laugh again in response to what Storm had said. Once again, Storm smiled appreciatively down at the tiny brunette. It made her heart glow with pride to know that she was able to get the young soldier to laugh. Maxim could go fall off a cliff with his no-fun attitude. Anyone with even the tiniest bit of humor would easily understand why Northson's choice of name, for himself and his kids, was absolutely stupid. Storm wasn't trying to be mean, it was Northson's own fault.

"Be that as it may, he is still the smartest man in all of Denbar! The Mapp family is renowned for their wit!" Maxim continued to defend.

"Hmmm, I wouldn't say that," Storm replied with a smirk. Maxim only glared back at her.

Iris, meanwhile, tried to take her mind off of Northson's naming narm and she looked once more at the stoic man. She could see Southlynn sitting at his immediate left, suit matching her husband's. She had short black hair and dark blue eyes. Sitting by her right was a boy. It was probably Westford. He looked just like Northson, save that his expression was a lot shyer and more sheepish. He wore an incredibly dorky looking sweater vest and looked like he would much rather be somewhere quieter. But other than that, he and his father had the same short brown hair and blue eyes. But where was Eastla? Three of the four Mapps were in attendance, each looking so similar yet so different. But where was the fourth?

"Where is Eastla?" Iris asked her question out loud. She continued to scan the dining hall, but there was no girl that looked like she might've been Northson and Southlynn's. Her question pulled Maxim and Storm from their argument and Maxim answered.

"She is no longer a Camp Reed soldier," he said severely.

"What do you mean?" Iris asked, worried about why Maxim suddenly sounded so… cold. It was a different tone than the one he'd used on Storm. This one was crueler, more disdainful, darker.

"She went missing just a bit after you became a soldier," Maxim explained to the purple-eyed girl. "Rumor said that she ran away because she and her father had some big falling out. Apparently, Eastla had always been a bit of a hothead and a rebel. She and her father never got along and I guess it all finally came to a head and she just up and ran."

"Smart girl," Storm muttered, her own eyes now scanning the leader's table. Sure enough, she couldn't find Eastla anywhere up there.

"Stupid girl," Maxim corrected. "She was just a dumb, rebellious teenager who ran away just because she wouldn't listen to her daddy," the man paused to shake his head disdainfully. "Her running away caused a lot of trouble for the camp. It took Southlynn a month to get the rumors to stop! It was a selfish thing to do. She deserves whatever happens to her now that she's gone AWOL. Westford will turn out better than she could have!"

"I don't think I'd say that," Storm snickered. "Westford always has been a lost cause. I mean, has that boy ever managed to string more than six words together when speaking to a crowd? Or do anything without messing up or stuttering like an idiot? He isn't that smart and he's terribly clumsy! I'd be surprised if he knew how to get out of bed without falling over!"

"He's just shy!" Maxim snapped, defending the Mapp family again. "But unlike Eastla, he sticks around!"

"Figures, she talks too much and he doesn't talk at all," Storm mocked Maxim. "And only she'd have the brains to high-tail it out of here! I'll bet you Westford would be too scared to leave a room without Daddy Dearest's permission!"

"You're right!" Maxim agreed, missing the fact that she was trying to take a shot at him and Westford. "Eastla was just an ungrateful little brat! I have no doubt that her rebellious streak will end once she finally matures and then she'll come to her senses and see what a brilliant man her father is. Then she'll just be begging to be taken back! I can only hope Southlynn comes to her better judgment as the camp leader and denies her."

"Like Southlynn would deny her own daughter!" Storm sneered. "That woman has a heart of gold, unlike you! She knows how to lead camp without being a dictator!"

"That's her prerogative," Maxim grunted dismissively. "My point is, even she shouldn't allow Eastla to come back after the stunts she pulled. I don't care how Southlynn chooses to run this camp. It's entirely her call. But I am just saying that Eastla deserves no place here."

"Well, if that's your opinion of Eastla, I doubt she'd ever want to come back anyway. Usually, the people who run away intend to stay gone," Storm spoke with a patronizing tone that mimicked the one Maxim sometimes used against the newer or less intelligent soldiers.

"Then it's her loss!" Maxim raised his chin with a cruel finality. "Westford has more potential than Eastla ever had! She's a disgrace! It's good that she's out of the way now! I hope she's happy, causing trouble wherever she is now!"

"Harsh," Iris replied under her breath as Storm and Maxim kept arguing over the Mapp family dynamics. Iris continued to look to the leader's table. Northson had finished his meal and was sitting motionless, just surveying the crowd. It was actually kind of creepy because Iris was pretty sure he wasn't even blinking. Southlynn, meanwhile, was talking animatedly with a soldier to her right. She couldn't hear Southlynn over the general din of the crowd, but she could see Southlynn laughing. Clearly, it was a very light-hearted and friendly chat. How different the couple was! Northson was like a statue while his wife was anything but, being so friendly and open. Her leadership skills reminded Iris of Captain: very friendly and calm, polite and respectful to everyone without a single trace of a dictator. Westford, who was on the other side of Northson, was busy staring at his plate, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. His mouth was shut firmly. The poor boy really did look very uncomfortable, looking shy and afraid and like he would've much rather been somewhere else. And of course, Eastla was not present at all. Camp Reed, and the Mapp family, were shaping up to be very interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry for such a late update. I've been busy with getting ready for college. I've posted TWO chapters to make up for it and will hopefully be back on a steadier schedule soon. Thanks for your patience.
> 
> Also, this chapter merely served to introduce the leading four of Camp Reed: Southlynn, Northson, Westford and Eastla. The leader, the deputy, the 'heir' and the black sheep. You'll see where Eastla ran off to eventually, but that won't come for a long time more. So just enjoy the present three for now and I hope to see you all again soon.


	26. Westford Mapp

For the first few days, Iris enjoyed Camp Reed. It was a technologically astounding camp and even though some of the training methods were different, the schedule stayed relatively simple and similar to Camp Heath. It was the morning wakeup, breakfast, training/patrol, lunch, training/patrol, dinner, training/patrol, sleep. It was very standard stuff. The soldiers were also incredibly friendly. True, some of them were a little arrogant and aloof while others preferred to be alone, but most were open and engaging. They loved sharing their knowledge and they loved getting to experience new things. This included the new visitors. The only difference between here and home was how exactly everything was done.

Iris would test her body in and on and around the mountain and she would test her mind in the labs, solving puzzles and problems meant to keep her mental capability at its highest. The puzzles were designed to help soldiers think faster and more creatively and they were actually quite fun! Though some felt nearly impossible to solve because of the type of thought process it took to solve them, though that was kind of the point. It was during moments like then when Iris would revert back to physical training just because she found it easier than some of the mind games, but physical training here was hard too. Along with standard gyms and training centers, the mountain itself was used and Iris had never been rock climbing before. Climbing up and down a mountain all day not only took strength, but it also took endurance, patience and forethought. It wasn't something one could rush blindly into. In addition, since Camp Reed was located on a mountain, the air was a lot thinner. As if the physical tasks weren't rigorous enough, there was that factor to consider. Overall, Camp Reed was a very hardcore place, but it was not at all unlikable.

But there was one things Iris came to truly hate about Camp Reed. The funny thing was, though, the thing Iris hated didn't even originate in Camp Reed. It had come over from Camp Heath. It was Maxim Roths. Iris hadn't ever really met the man intimately before now, having only seen him sometimes dogging after Captain, but here in Camp Reed, Iris had become more acquainted with him than she ever wished to be. He was snobby, rude and bossy, always telling the Camp Heath soldiers what to do, even if they already knew it. Of course, Iris understood that part of Maxim's bossiness stemmed from the fact that he was the official leader of the mission and he was Camp Heath's deputy. But at the same time, did he really have to be so pushy and condescending? Did he have to play the drill sergeant role every single second he was around? All the soldiers of Camp Reed seemed relaxed enough, only getting worked up when there was an actual threat, so why did Maxim have to be so darn aggressive? There were ways to lead an army without being a total dictator about it. And most of Maxim's orders were somewhat unnecessary. They were things that the average joe could've figured out without it being shout at them from an angry soldier with a superiority complex. It wasn't like Maxim getting overly zealous did anything beneficial at all.

"Here's why I hate him," Storm growled into Iris' ear one night as Maxim sent his soldiers to bed like a chiding father, condescendingly telling them why they needed a good night's rest like it wasn't already common sense. Iris nodded in agreement but, by that time, she was so tired from a long day of mountaineering that she didn't feel like complaining about Maxim that particular evening. For once, she agreed with every word he was saying, wanting nothing more than her bed. She even stifled a yawn as she tried to agree with Storm. Or at least, she tried to stifle it. Storm still heard part of it and, instantly, her expression changed from irritation to gentleness and she shook her head with a small smile. "Come on, you. I guess Maxim may have had a point after all," she said to her ex-apprentice, and the two went to bed immediately thereafter.

But when Iris wasn't just living casually amongst the ranks of Camp Reed, she was out on active duty. Like Northson had said, the current goal was to capture a Noctifer and bring it back to study. The only problem was, they were nowhere to be found. It was so typical! The moment Denbar needed a Noctifer, they would all vanish. Iris did figure that maybe part of the reason it was so hard to find a Noctifer out here was because it was so far away from the main Noctifer lair, but still! This was ridiculous! Multiple days of many patrols and not even a small sign!

Presently, Iris was headed straight out of the Camp Reed mountain, walking east. She was hoping that maybe something would be hiding in the forests that surrounded Camp Reed's towering home. With her was Westford Mapp. Since the mission of today was to just find a Noctifer, squads were sent off in only twos or threes. Iris was with Westford, obviously, and although he had a weapon, since there was no combat on the official schedule, he was currently fiddling with some kind of radar meant to detect the body heat from another living organism.

"Find anything?" Iris asked after they'd walked about a mile east of the mountain.

"Not yet," Westford sighed, tapping the radar. He and Iris were the only things on the map.

"It figures that the moment we need something, everything would go dead," Iris grunted.

"Well, we're not too far out of the camp. We can push on a little," Westford reminded the girl, but he laughed at the irony she was pointing out. This was the first day the two had actually met, aside from Iris catching a glimpse of him over dinner on her first night here. The two were already showing signs of a budding friendship. Westford was a very shy, sweet fellow. He was down to earth and kind and gentle. Iris found him to be quite adorable and charming and he seemed flattered by this. Of course, they had gone through the typical rigmarole of panicking over Iris' strangely colored eyes, but Westford had sounded so… concerned that Iris couldn't find it within herself to be mad at him for asking.

"Why are your eyes purple?" he had asked. "Are you sick? Or hurt? Is it mountain sickness? Have I done something wrong? Should we go back or do you want me to just call for help while we wait here?" he'd asked all of these questions in a matter of seconds while berating himself for not noticing that Iris might've been in danger earlier on. It was such a sweet and amusing display of genuine concern that Iris decided to let it go on for a while before finally putting Westford out of his misery and explaining.

"I was born this way!" she told him, still shaking off the last of her laughs. Upon hearing this, Westford did calm down, and then he looked quite indignant at Iris laughing which only made her laugh all the harder. Hearing her mirth had an effect on Westford and soon, he began to laugh too until both of them were chuckling over Westford's momentary frenzy.

Once they managed to stop, however, Iris gave Westford a more serious and traditional explanation, talking about how her eyes had been purple all her life and even though people had no idea what genes she had to make them purple, they were obviously genetic. This ended up piquing Westford's interests and he grilled Iris on her eyes for a good few minutes more, but when he found out that she genuinely didn't know too much about why her eyes were purple, he allowed the conversation to change away from Iris' eyes and to more about her life in general terms. Westford had a lot of questions to ask and he was an excellent listener, allowing Iris to speak her part before commenting a little bit and then turning the conversation back over to her. Once Iris had exhausted her stories, though, she switched off and began to ask Westford about his own life. He seemed a little more embarrassed, but he did tell Iris a few good stories about his time as a soldier.

That brought them to where they stood now, halfway through a forest that was a few miles away from Camp Reed. Still nothing.

"How far out do you guys usually have to go to find Noctifers?" Iris asked.

"I'm not really sure," Westford replied, a sheepish note entering his voice again. He twiddled with the radar once more. "I've never been one for fighting, unfortunately, so all of this hunting and capturing is kind of foreign to me. I'm sorry."

"Hey now, don't be sorry," Iris replied, turning to face Camp Reed's leader's son. "There's nothing wrong with not being into combat! There are other roles in the army aside from a fighter."

"But I'm still a soldier in the army!" Westford argued. "It's kind of the whole point… Besides, my dad isn't really into physical combat either, but you should see him!" Westford trailed off, a note of awe entering his voice as he thought about how agile and graceful his dad could be in battle.

"Well, maybe so," Iris allowed. "But it's not like combat is the only thing a soldier does. There's nothing wrong if you don't like the front lines and you aren't your father. You don't have to be his clone."

"But it's not even just the front lines!" Westford confessed sadly. "It's all the war stuff in general! I don't like any of it."

"Then why did you join the army?" asked Iris. It was a blunt question, but she tilted her head to show that she was genuinely curious and not trying to be accusatory or invasive. Westford was able to detect this so, after calming his nerves, he confessed everything.

It sounded like Northson and Southlynn had both served in the army when they were younger and it was during their time as soldiers that they met and fell in love. They even left the army, choosing to revert back to domestic life back in Denbar to be together. They ended up getting married and having two kids, Eastla and Westford. But when Eastla was about 10 (and Westford six), the Noctifer War began. Chief all but begged the Mapps to return to their post. They were both such strong, brave, brilliant soldiers that they were vital to war. But at first, both of the Mapps had denied. As battle-oriented as they were, they had a domestic life to live now. They had kids. Neither wanted to leave those kids unless it was 100% necessary. Now, both Northson and Southlynn understood the importance of the army and of serving and they understood that sacrifices had to be made but, the way they saw it, they had already served their time. Let other new minds take over. They was going to stay home and that was that!

But as the years rolled by, once Eastla and Westford were adults, Southlynn decided to return to war. Northson intended to join, but only as soon as the kids were stable enough to live on their own. It was just dumb luck that Eastla had expressed desire to join the army as well. This meant Westford would've been the only Mapp not wanting to serve. That was how he had intended upon keeping things, but pleading from his family changed his mind and he reluctantly joined them, packing his bags as soon as her turned 18. Cut to about one and a half years later, and here they were. All four Mapps under one roof again. Or at least, three of them were.

For a time, the Mapps had coexisted here quite happily, Southlynn in charge and her husband as her second, but then some silly debate between father and daughter reared its ugly head. The fight itself was nothing new, Northson and Eastla always at odds with one another, but what made it more serious than any feud before it was that it finally all came to a head that led to Eastla just up and running. After one particularly fierce argument over dinner, when the sun came up the very next day, Eastla and all her things were gone without a trace. No note or sign of any kind. Just an emptiness where she used to sit beside her family. It had caused a panic for awhile but eventually, Eastla sent Camp Reed a message. All it said was that she was alive and well and in no danger, but at the same time, she didn't plan on returning. It was a clear message: "leave me alone". Northson did send out a few more search parties in attempt to find Eastla, but he failed every single time and finally, like his wife and son, was forced to let his rebellious daughter go, much as it hurt his pride.

That left Westford as the sole Mapp child. On the one hand, this was kind of nice. He didn't have an obnoxious and overbearing sister to argue with anymore. But on the other, it meant he was always front and center. He could no longer use Eastla to divert attention meant for him. Now, he had to take double the amount of praise and criticism. Westford, being as shy and quiet as he was, didn't like this arrangement at all. But Eastla was gone and he had no way of getting her back, so he was stuck underneath his father and mother's constant guard, having to live up to painfully high standards. And to top it off, he still hadn't even wanted to join the army in the first place!

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Iris murmured as Westford finished his tale.

"It's really not as bad as it sounds," Westford replied. "Northson isn't that bad and Southlynn has been so supportive and loving and I know Eastla is safe, I just don't want to be here. That's all. I'm just not into the whole 'war' thing."  
"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," Iris repeated firmly, then she continued to reassure Westford. It was ok if he wasn't exactly like the rest of his family. It was ok if he preferred a more peaceful and moderate lifestyle. He didn't need to be a hero to be a good man and he didn't have to live up to anyone's expectations except his own. He was a human, not a robot. If he didn't like war, he didn't like war. He didn't have to make some grand gesture to be heroic or brave and he didn't need to do something big in order to matter. The world was made up of a diverse set of people and everyone had a part to play and that included the smaller roles like being a civilian or a caretaker. One did not need to be on the frontlines of a war in order to help out or be a hero. And one most certainly did not need to be a hero to have a life worth living.

"Thanks, Iris," Westford smiled at the smaller brunette. "Your words mean a lot to me…" he trailed off and continued to look down at the girl, fondness and gratitude in his light blue eyes. It had been a long time since someone other than his mother had told him that his value didn't only stem from how good at soldering he was. It had been a long time since someone other than his mother made him feel comfortable in his own skin and raised his self-esteem and offered him an alternate option in life to the miserable and false one he was leading then. His code was usually just to keep his eyes down and his mouth shut. It was nice to find someone willing to accept him as he was, even if that someone was as paradoxical and impossible as a pacifist soldier. It was nice to finally meet someone who didn't call him Northson 2.0.

Iris smiled up at him shyly as well before turning back to face the trail they'd been walking for quite awhile now. Although her fondness for Westford was growing rapidly, they still had a mission to do and Iris didn't want her head to go wild with daydreams just yet.

"How much do you want to bet we won't find anything?" she asked next with a small smile.

"Well, let's keep looking," Westford replied, and on they went.

Ultimately, Iris ended up being right. The pair stayed out until the very end, but they, like every other patrol, came home empty-handed. The sun was setting by the time they opted to turn around and go home, but despite coming back empty-handed, neither of them were that bothered. The company they were able to afford each other had far outweighed their lack of success in the mission. But Northson was not as happy as they.

"We need Noctifers!" he had growled, but he was not angry. At least not as the soldiers. This wasn't their fault. He knew they couldn't just snap and have a Noctifer appear, though such a talent would've been quite useful right now. Oh, if only he could find a Noctifer! Just one! Just one, single, little Noctifer! Then he would be able to carry out his tests and see if these monsters had any weakness that he could use against them. The sooner they managed to capture a live Noctifer for experimentation, the sooner Northson could lead the plans to ending this stupid war so he could go back home and enjoy the domestic life once more.

But even though Northson had been disappointed by the day's lack of progress, Iris was still content. She had found a new friend in Westford and, if there were no Noctifers around, that meant she could spend the evening hanging out with him. The prospect made her smile, and it seemed that the feeling was mutual, Westford just as happy to see Iris as she was to see him. After all, she really was the first person to truly seem to like him, not just out of pity or envy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: With any luck, my updates will be sooner and steadier. As you can see in this chapter, it was mostly just a chance to introduce you to Camp Reed's leaders. Ain't this Westford guy adorkable? He was based off every nerd character I've ever seen and fallen in love with because of how cute they were. (Also, just a quick note, the Mapps only just recently concocted a plan of trying to use biology against the Noctifers, hence why their desire to capture one only came up recently). Read on to see what happens if and when they finally catch their first alien and what all goes down in order to capture it.


	27. Captured Victory

But after roughly one week was up, things finally got interesting…

"Of course. We ask the soldiers to bring back a Noctifer and they can't find anything, but the day we decide to pause patrols is the day one decides to come to us!" Northson despaired angrily as someone informed him that there was a Noctifer currently climbing its way up the mountain.

"What can you say?" Southlynn sighed. "These things just happen, so all we can do is make the best of them."

"I suppose you're right," Northson grunted. "Now what are your orders?" he turned Southlynn with a determined expression.

"Well, I think we're gonna let whatever it is make its way to the cliffs," Southlynn decided. Her husband and several nearby soldiers leaned in closer to hear her speak. "We'll have our melee fighters distract it and our long-range fighters entrap it. Use nets or rope, it doesn't matter to me. Once it's been restrained enough, I'll take it from there…" the petite woman paused to grin wickedly. As kind, gentle, friendly and hospitable as Southlynn was, the true heart of a warrior pounded in her chest.

"Are those your only orders?" Northson asked once Southlynn finished speaking her plan. She nodded.

"Now, would you care to do the honors?" she then asked her husband, still grinning wickedly.

"I'd be delighted," he replied, grin just as devious. Then he turned away from his wife and began barking orders, sending soldiers in all directions while Southlynn darted away towards one of the entrances into the mountain itself. Iris managed to see her run off, but before she could wonder why, she was swept up along with all the other soldiers and sent out to the battlefield.

What ensued was a very intense battle. For both Camp Reed and their visiting Camp Heath allies, the battle took a lot of time and energy. First and foremost, it was a mountaintop battle. Of course combat was going to be a bit harder. Secondly, it was still early morning. Then lastly, and this was perhaps the biggest reason of all, the Noctifers in question resembled a big spider. Iris had nearly fainted upon seeing it, having a deathly fear of all things creepy and crawly. Spiders had always been the worst for her and she considered it a curse that of course the first Noctifer she would see here would be a spider one. Couldn't it have been like a wasp or a centipede? Granted, those things were also terrifying but, to Iris, nothing was worse than a spider. Especially if it was the size and speed of a car.

But fear or no fear, Iris was still obligated to fight, so she did. She could see several other soldiers shaking uncomfortably but not a single one backed down. Encouraged by this, Iris swallowed her own nerves and raised her sword. It was in moments like this that she was relieved that her Gift could be used remotely. That way, she could do damage without having to actually face the Noctifer directly. So while she stood back, subtly waving her arm out at the spider, everyone else ran forward, waving swords and clubs madly over their heads. A few Camp Reed soldiers who were equipped with bows were standing on rocks scattered around the mountain top, trying to shoot the spider.

"Eagle team to left and Dragon team to right!" someone screamed. Iris recognized the voice as belonging to Northson and, despite being terrified of what she was having to fight at the moment, hearing him speak emboldened Iris even more. There was just something so commanding about his voice that it almost soothed her. In addition, it was incredibly impressive to see a wiry, middle-aged man running at a giant spider head on. He was leading the charge. As much of a thinker as he was, if duty required him to stand on the front of the front lines, then he was going to stand on the front of the front lines. Iris instantly felt her respect for him triple. For all of his callous ways, Northson got stuff done! The proof was in his willingness to run at a giant spider with no inhibitions despite its huge fangs and terrible temper.

Right behind him was Storm. Of course she was. That woman, Iris was certain, feared nothing in Denbar. On the contrary, Iris was pretty sure that Storm got off of anything that offered to fight her, even if that something was a big ugly spider currently trying to eat anything that came within a three foot radius of it. She looked like she was having a blast, swinging her sword wildly at the spider and laughing almost psychotically. It was kind of cool to watch when it wasn't terrifying. She and Northson made a very deadly duo. Neither Westford nor Southlynn were anywhere to be seen, but Iris had no time to wonder where they were. Instead, she dared to approach the massive spider and drain some of its life essence. It probably wouldn't be enough to kill, but if she could decay some of its legs, that would be a huge help…

Then at last, the spider was defeated. Iris successfully managed to take three of its legs, severely unbalancing it. It was when the Noctifer began to collapse that Northson bellowed for a retreat. At first, Iris didn't understand why, but then a giant robot emerged from the depths of the Camp Reed mountain and Iris found herself running to safety as well. Apparently, that robot was primarily used for building and supporting the complex cave system in the mountain but, for the sake of this one battle, it had been refurbished into a giant capturing machine. Its forklift left hand and claw right hand had been replaced by netting and there were massive syringes mounted upon its shoulders. Most impressive, though, was what could be seen inside the giant robot. Southlynn's cheerful face. She was piloting the thing and steering it right towards the squirming spider. She had been the one to build the robot and then rebuilt it into an over-glorified capturing machine. Now she was piloting the thing with nothing short of the sheerest delight on her face. Then, with the same bravery her husband had, she approached the spider easily.

The robot moved forward slowly and powerfully, clanking and clattering as its pilot steered it right over to the squirming spider.

"Come here, little guy, come here!" Southlynn cooed softly, hunched over the controls with her eyes squinted in intense concentration. This was actually quite a dangerous operation because the spider could so easily be faking its injuries and hop back up to attack. Southlynn's robot might've been big, but it wasn't built for combat, just defense. She had to hope that the spider really was on its last limb, literally and metaphorically, and then see if she could wrap it up tight enough to hold and all while being in a really big and really slow robot.

With the kind of bravery Iris knew she'd never have, Southlynn finally picked the spider up easily and removed a few more of its legs before covering it in the netting and hitting part of its exposed flesh with the syringes. It must've been a really powerful sedation because the massive Noctifer was out cold in only a minute. Then Southlynn carted the Noctifer's motionless form away and the battle ended there. A loud cheer went up as Southlynn's robot went back underground and a swarm of soldiers followed after her, each eager to get the first glimpse of their captured victory. Iris was more than happy just to stay on the surface world, far, far away from that spider. Dead or not, it still freaked her out.

What ensued was a flurry of activity as soldiers shed their armor for lab attire and raced to the lab that occupied the entire back half of the Camp Reed main building. There, the spider was placed in a very secure area and test were done at once, analyzing every little trait the creature had. Southlynn really had no particular goal in mind, but she figured that if they studied the Noctifer long enough, some weakness would present itself and they would be able to go off of it. But even though a Noctifer had finally been captured, the adventure was not over for the Camp Heath soldiers. On the contrary, now they had to help fix up camp. The spider may have been defeated, but there were a lot of places in camp that needed fixing. If the Camp Reed soldiers were all busy in labs, this meant the Camp Heath soldiers were the ones stuck with the task.

"I guess it could be worse," Iris mused as she and several others helped fill cracks in the mountain, reinforcing its surface.

"But it could be better," Storm argued, clearly offended at having to do such menial labor after such a spectacular battle. Maxim was also out helping them do repairs and, for once, it looked like he and Storm were agreeing on something. Iris could already see it in his face that he was a little more than indignant about being forced to do hard labor despite the powers of thought being more his forte. In addition, like Storm, he felt that being forced to do the cleaning up after a battle was a poor way of showing gratitude, but since the orders had come from Northson himself, nobody wanted to argue. Well, Storm had tried, but Iris managed to talk her out of it.

"I know you're mad at Northson for not being a bit more appreciative, but can we at least see what he discovers before we jump to conclusions?" Iris had pleaded. "Maybe he was trying to find something urgently."

"Well, it better be pretty impressive in order for me not to sock him in the jaw!" Storm replied bitterly, throwing a rock down hard enough to break.

"Well remember, he led part of the charge. You may not like him, but at least he doesn't just sit back and make his soldiers do all the work," Iris reminded the taller, older woman.

"Hmmm, true," Storm allowed reluctantly. "But I'm still mad that this is all the thanks I get!"  
"Don't worry, I understand. Believe me," Iris grunted struggling to carry a large stack of rocks. Being Gifted may have increased her physical prowess, but even she still had limits. Oh what she wouldn't have done for a nice nap! But she and her Camp Heath friends had work to do and none of them were willing to be the first to call it quits. So on and on they toiled, helping fix the mountain.

"Let's just try to finish this up as soon as we can, then maybe you and I can just go off somewhere for the rest of the day," Storm suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Iris replied, then she and Storm both groaned as they each picked up another burden and moved along to the next spot of the mountain in need of repairs. All around them, other Camp Heath soldiers were doing likewise, similarly unhappy expressions on their own faces. But hey, they'd still succeeded in their goal to capture a Noctifer. That had to count for something. Only time would tell what that something was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Life's still busy, but I'm going to try to update more often. This was just to show the Noctifer being captured because y'all deserve some action after so much idle chatter. Once again, please review to tell me how this story is going and whether or not I should spice it up more often or just let it take its course.


	28. Cave Dweller

At last, reparations took the soldiers underground. Literally, any soldiers who were able to, had to descend into the mountain itself in order to help make sure nothing on the inside had been damage and to carry supplies back up and out to the surface world. Iris was amongst the group helping carry supplies and building material up. This meant that it was a long day spent going up and down the mountain. Every time Iris returned to the heart of the mountain for new supplies to bring up, she would pass a hoard of soldiers darting in and out of the underground lab system. All of them wore clean white coats and wide-eyed expressions. Anyone among their ranks was affectionately called a Cave Dweller since they spent more time under the ground instead of on top of it.

During one of her ascents, however, something distracted Iris. Out of the corner of her purple eye, she thought she saw something tiny darting through the shadows. On guard at once, she set down her burden to go after it. She figured that even if it was a Noctifer, it would be small enough for her to catch on her own. Either way, there was something loose within the mountain itself and that was a huge problem.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" the tiny brunette breathed to herself as she tried to catch another glimpse of that running figure. From what she could remember, along with being small, the figure had been hunched over on all-fours. Given the way it was able to move so quickly and quietly, in addition to having been able to get down here in the first place, Iris had a feeling that this Noctifer would resemble a cat or monkey, something small and flexible. She continued to hunt it through the dark and winding tunnels of the mountain.

Cocking her head side to side, trying to hear anything resembling feet, Iris finally ended up in a more isolated hallway. It was small, dark, and looked intentionally forgotten. Curiosity aroused, Iris treaded softly in. About halfway down, she noticed a door. A label upon the door read that it was only for storage but, when Iris heard the sound of movement emitting from the door, she needed no further incentive to enter anyway. Sword drawn and eyes glowing, Iris pushed open the door softly, relieved to find that it was unlocked so she could fight with stealth as opposed to direct confrontation. What she saw, however, was not what she would've expected, even if she hadn't been Noctifer hunting. Behind that door was what looked like a typical teenager's bedroom, not a storage place at all! There was a bed covered in pillows and plushies on one side of the room and a large desk covered in books, papers, cards and electronic devices on the other. Iris frowned and stepped inside.

"Hey! Who are you! What are you doing here? How did you get in?!" the person demanded the moment she saw Iris enter her private room. Iris, however, was at a loss for words. Once again, the person she was looking at was a person she never would've imagined seeing at a place like this. It was a little girl, a child almost! Iris could only stare at her in wonder and confusion as they stood in the room's doorway.

"Well?" the girl's blue eyes narrowed suspiciously the longer Iris continued to stand there, mouth gape. But at last, Iris managed to rouse herself.

"Uhhh, sorry, uhh, I'm Iris Long," she introduced herself clumsily to the way-too-young child.

"What are you doing here?" the girl repeated, taking a defensive step forward, preparing to push Iris out of her room, though it wouldn't work.

"I saw you running through the hall earlier and I didn't know what you were," Iris said.

"Didn't know what I was?" the girl echoed with a scoff. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You were all hunched over!" Iris replied defensively. "I thought you might've been a Noctifer trying to sneak into camp. How was I supposed to know that I was actually chasing some little kid?"

"Little kid?!" the girl drew herself up indignantly. She was just a bit taller than Iris. Iris instantly felt a flash of embarrassment and irritation. She liked being tiny, but when someone who looked far too young to be here was still taller than her was a little… undignified. "I am not a little kid!" the girl continued. "My name is Danielle Boemker and I am one of Camp Reed's best architects! I am one of the highest ranking members on the electronics and graphic design team!" she continued to defend herself until Iris interrupted.

"Wait a sec, are you saying that you're actually a soldier here?" she asked.

"Well, duh," Danielle replied, still pouting a little.

"But you aren't 18?" Iris asked. Danielle's defensive posture sank into something more sheepish and submissive.

"No. I'm not. Your suspicions are correct," she admitted. "I've only just turned 14 this month."

"And you've been here for how long?" Iris asked in disbelief. Weren't child-soldiers were illegal?

"Only a few months," Danielle replied. When she saw Iris shake her head in something akin to disgust, she quickly explained. "I know it seems like they're starting to recruit children, but I promise you that I'm a special case. I'm… different," she paused as she tried to figure out how to explain her situation without revealing too much or getting anyone into too much trouble.

"Let me put it to you this way," she offered finally. "Northson has been wanting to design a special weapon that can help us break through Noctifer lines but all of his best designers and programmers are always off on missions and patrols. He knew he'd need at least a few people who could stay behind in camp and help work on the research for the weapon and he ended up finding me. With Southlynn's permission, Northson left camp for awhile and returned to Denbar, looking for promising recruits. He and I met me at some science conference. He said that I had impressed him so much he was willing to offer me a spot in his camp if only I would help him research and design."

"And you actually agreed? At 13?" Iris snorted again.

"Yes," Danielle replied with a casual shrug. "He offered a lot of cash and pretty much whatever I asked for. It's a sweet deal. Besides, he promised I wouldn't have to do any of the fighting myself. So I'm not technically a soldier. I've never had any battle training."

"What a loophole," Iris grunted, but she did have to admit that she was a little impressed with Northson. He seemed like such a rule-follower that to hear that he'd actively used a loophole to get this little girl in here was kind of funny and awesome. Besides, he was keeping her safe. Iris couldn't deny that. It wasn't like he was forcing her to battle or patrol or anything like that.

"Isn't it?" Danielle agreed, though she sounded far more smug about it than Iris. "Besides, why do you think my rooming is all the way down here, away from the others? It's to keep me hidden and safe," Danielle explained. "I'm a Cave Dweller, that's a term we use for anyone who spends most of their days in the mountain instead of on top of it. I only came out at all to help with repairs. Like I said, I'm a pretty good designer and builder. Architecture was always a forte, as was working with rocks and minerals, the very foundation of this camp."

Danielle gestured grandly around herself as she continued to explain what her purpose was here in camp. Iris only listened on in a strange mix of awe and disbelief that Northson had pretty much figured out a way to get himself a child soldier but, at the same time, like Danielle said, he took extreme precautious to keep her underground… literally. It wasn't like he was using her as cannon fodder, he was keeping her very safe. But what were the odds of meeting someone who was practically a child, yet so well versed in all things scientific? Architecture, electronics, design, geology. What a large bundle in such a small and young package!

But what fascinated her more than Northson's trickery was Danielle's own nonchalance about the whole thing. Iris didn't know too many 13 year olds who were very good at science, let alone good enough to catch the eye of Northson Mapp, and she didn't certainly didn't know any 13 year olds who would've been ok with joining the army under such strict stipulations. But Danielle seemed quite pleased with the whole set up, not seeming bothered by the isolation or secrecy at all. Then again, given the really nice room she had, which was cluttered with everything her heart desired, Iris could see some level of appeal. Maybe Danielle's willingness to join the army wasn't that impossible after all. It must've been such a huge ego-booster to hear from Northson herself that she was wicked smart. And then to be spoiled to her heart's desire in exchange for things she already excelled at? Ok, so maybe it was a good deal.

An alarm suddenly sounded overhead and Iris jumped in fright but Danielle only looked mildly annoyed.

"That'll be my signal to go!" she declared with a frown, looking up at the alarm on the ceiling.

"Go where?" Iris asked, trying to calm her racing heart, embarrassed at getting so scared by a few beeping noises.

"To the Noctifer you all caught," Danielle replied with a sigh. "They'll be wanting me in the labs along with everyone else just to see what you all managed to drag up. It's all just a load of rubbish, really. I'm not into the whole anatomy thing," Danielle's frown slowly turned into a look of resignation. "At the same time, though, it is Southlynn's orders, so…" Danielle trailed off and began packing a few things into a nearby bag.

A few minutes later, once she'd shoved multiple electronic devices, headphones and chargers into her bag, Danielle gestured to the door. Iris quickly stepped outside and Danielle followed after her, making sure to lock the door this time.

"Maybe I'll see you around," she said after she finished locking up her private room.

"Maybe," Iris agreed, still a little subdued by the so-called Cave Dweller. Danielle quickly rested one of her devices, a tablet, on the crook of her arm. Then she threw a silvery-black cloak around herself.

"It's camouflage," she explained when Iris gave her a funny look. "Even though I'm technically allowed to be here, I was advised to lay low."

"So, that cloak's going to help you blend in, eh?" Iris asked.

"Yeah," Danielle nodded. "It works better than you think. All I have to do is creep around a little, like a shadow-lady."

"Hmmm," Iris muttered, but then something occurred to her. "You won't get in trouble for me finding you, right?"

"Not at all," Danielle replied. "And truth be told, I don't care who all knows I'm here, I just prefer not to be found. Really, the only people who can't know would be anyone in Archon or my parents. Archon would have a fit if they knew a 14 year old was serving here even though Northson's loophole is technically legal. As for my parents? Well, they're overprotective, to put it lightly," Danielle paused to smirk at the thought. Part of the reason she'd come here in the first place was to get away from all that smothering. As far as her parents knew, she was serving an internship in some other Denbar state. They'd probably have at least 50 heart attacks if they ever found out what their daughter was really up to.

"Well, either way, I promise I won't tell anyone about you," said Iris.

"Thanks," Danielle replied. "Now I've got to go, and I'd assume your commanding officer will want you back soon as well?"

"You're probably right," Iris agreed regretfully. "I should go too."

"Bye," Danielle replied, giving Iris an awkward little wave, tablet still balancing precariously in the crook of her arm, then, almost instantaneously, she vanished. Iris watched her dart out of that little, dark hallway and into a nearby vent shaft. There was a few rustles and bumps as Danielle adjusted herself within the tight space but then, suddenly, everything went quite again and Iris found herself entirely alone once more. The tiny brunette approached the vent system and knelt down, peeking inside, but there was no trace of the little Cave Dweller. What a strange little girl…

But while Danielle was headed off to a lab meeting of sorts, Iris returned to the hallway she had started from and shouldered her burden once more. It was relatively small, just a few iron bars, but it still wasn't that fun to carry upwards. Oh well, duty called.

"There you are, Iris!" Storm was the first one to greet Iris once she appeared in one of the mountain exits.

"Sorry, I got sidetracked," Iris replied with a grin as Storm helped her get the iron bars out of the hole.

"You can say that again!" Storm huffed. "I was wondering where you'd gone off to."

"I was talking with a Cave Dweller," Iris replied.

"Ah, those bunch of weirdoes," Storm's face took on a disdainful expression. She'd passed the main underground lab multiple times and, every single time she took a peek in, people in crisp lab coats were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, ripping the Noctifer open at every available spot. Southlynn had been leading the proceedings, Northson acting as her right hand and passing her tools when she needed them while she excitedly pointed out everything the Noctifer had to offer.

"Hey! They aren't that weird!" Iris defended, knowing exactly what Storm was referring to, but then she remembered that the first and only one she'd actually talked to was a 14 year old girl who had snuck in and currently spent her life in one tiny little room with a desk full of unfinished projects and a bed full of stuffed toys, ready to answer the Mapps' every call, even if it wasn't in her skill set (genetics and anatomy).

"Whatever you say, Iris," Storm replied, bending back down to help Iris up onto solid ground again.

"Thanks," Iris told the blond once she was out. She picked up the iron bars again.

"No problem," Storm replied. "It sounds like we're nearly done with mending the mountain anyway."

"Thank Denbar!" Iris exhaled in relief.

"Hey! You were off fraternizing with the Cave Dwellers!" Storm teased, pretending to get angry with Iris.

"I was not 'fraternizing' with anyone. We were having an intellectual conversation!" the tiny brunette replied, nose in the air. Storm only laughed a little and nudged the girl as they walked back over to one of the buildings where Iris was supposed to deliver the iron bars.

Ultimately, it still took another hour to get everything done but, once everything had been completed enough for the day, all of those who had been helping in mending the mountain took the rest of the day off.

"Thank Denbar!" Iris repeated as she collapsed onto her bed. Storm, who was bunking with her, did likewise.

"I miss Camp Heath!" the blond declared. "I miss having a one-level camp and not multiple tiers all in some huge mountain!"

"I wonder how long they plan on keeping us," Iris mused next. "I mean, we've caught them a Noctifer."

"Well, I'm hoping that this will be enough, but I'd bet money that the Mapps will want us to catch 'em all," Storm replied.

"Denbar, I hope not!" Iris banged her head onto her pillow at the thought. That spider had not been pleasant in the slightest and the last thing Iris wanted was to have to go off mending the mountain again. It was really hard work! But if duty called…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I confess that this was a bit of a filler chapter, existing only to show the Mapps finally getting their coveted Noctifer. If anything, this was only a gift chapter for a friend. The main Cave Dweller in this chapter, though not integral to the plot, is based off a real friend of mine who insisted I put her in the story. I hope this cameo is enough for her. (She's on Wattpad under the name penguinlover611 if you want to check her out).


	29. Hopeless Romantic

But luckily, Iris and Storm's fears were unfounded and, just a couple days later, Southlynn felt ready to send the Camp Heath soldiers off. Their mission was done and there didn't appear to be a follow-up attack anytime soon. For that, Southlynn sent her visitors home, showering them in gratitude as she dismissed them.

"I want to thank you all now for your service!" Southlynn told the soldiers on the day of their departure. "Thanks to you, we have obtained a specimen worth studying and, already, we are working around the clock to memorize every little detail we can. Without your help, we would not have gotten this far and I want to commend each and every one of you for helping us one step closer to victory!" the woman raised her chin with pride, brown eyes shining. The dining hall erupted into cheers. Storm's were among the loudest.

"Yes! We're finally going home!" she cried. It had only been two weeks, but she was ready to get off this mountain. Mostly, she just wasn't sure how much more intellectual mumbo-jumbo she could take. "No more crazy nerd jargon and no more mending the mountain!"

Iris, meanwhile, was a little more subdued. As she and the rest of Camp Heath made off to pack their bags, Iris was halted twice in her tracks. The first to find and stop her was little Danielle. She came running after the tiny brunette, a cup of tea from breakfast still in her hand.

"Iris! Wait!" she called. Iris recognized Danielle's voice at once and stopped.

"Danielle? What are you doing out here?" she asked. For the past few days, Danielle had made good on her promise to keep in contact with Iris and the two had already struck up a little friendship. Mostly, though, Iris had needed to sneak out late at night in order to visit Danielle in her room. More often than not, the girl would be on her bed playing a little videogame with techno music blasting out of one of the many other electronic devices scattered around her room. This was the first time Iris had seen Danielle out of her room, minus that time in the vents.

"I told you, I am allowed to go outside. Besides, I heard that you were going home today and I wanted to say goodbye!" she explained. She paused to take a sip of her tea, sighing at how good it tasted.

"Well, that's sweet of you," Iris filled the silence. "I'm glad you came out to send me off."

"Yeah, I guess you're pretty cool," Danielle agreed with a small smile.

"Pretty cool?" Iris chuckled. Danielle only shrugged, still drinking her tea, unbothered that she might've offended Iris because she knew she hadn't.

"It'll be boring without you visiting me," she said.

"I'm sure we can chat online," Iris replied. Camp Heath had computers and she had a phone and Danielle was never apart from her tablet (which was currently resting on its trademark position in the crook of her arm, even as she was eating and drinking).

"Perhaps. But not many others here in Camp Reed have any time to spare with me," Danielle said. "It gets boring without someone to talk to."

"Are you terribly lonely, then?" asked Iris, concern for Danielle washing over her.

"Not lonely, or at least, not all the time. Just every once in awhile. I've got internet friends to keep me company," the little blond responded.

"I suppose that's good," Iris murmured. "And perhaps, I can become one of those friends, eh?"

"Cool!" Danielle nodded. The pair quickly exchanged contact info.

"Well, see you around," Iris said finally as their last farewells were exchanged.

"Bye!" Danielle singsonged, then, with the same speed and stealth that she'd displayed the first time she and Iris met, she was gone in just a blink of an eye. Iris could only watch her go in amusement. For all her oddities, Danielle was a great girl and Iris was glad to have met her. She still wasn't sure what she thought about Danielle being so young yet still serving in the army, but at least Southlynn made sure she was always safe. Besides, she seemed happy enough despite having to hide away most of the time…

The next person to say farewell to Iris was Westford. This goodbye was a little sadder than the one with Danielle. In the same way Iris had developed a fast friendship with Danielle, she had developed an even faster one with Westford. They went on several more patrols together and even after the Noctifer spider had come along, the two would still try and spend time together. It wasn't as much as either of them would've liked, Westford needing to be present at nearly every Noctifer study, but they did always manage to find time just to talk. It was usually during meals when Westford would slip away from his father's side to join Iris at hers.

This did garner a few looks, especially from Storm, but mercifully, no one said anything. It was the only time they had to be together, after all. But perhaps everyone understood that and, for that reason, had the common decency not to tease and prod Iris as to whether or not she was in love with Westford. Instead, they let the little purple-eyed soldier be, even if a few quiet whispers did circulate on the nature of Iris' relationship with Westford. It was just that Iris had grown to enjoy Westford's company more and more with every meal because he was such an intelligent fellow and she still found his shyness kind of cute. Iris saw him as a friend and, thusly, wanted to spend as much time with him as she could. But now those little chats were coming to an end, what with Iris having to go home and all. It was a somber moment.

"I guess this is it?" he asked after his mother had dismissed the Camp Heath soldiers.

"I guess," Iris replied awkwardly. She hated to admit it, but she really did find Westford really attractive and, if they didn't live so far apart and if Iris still hadn't felt so embarrassed about the breakup with Jason or sore over the death of Clover, she might've taken him as a boyfriend. She had genuine interest in him, but the fates were not kind. What made it even worse, though, was that Iris was almost entirely sure that the feeling was mutual. She didn't mean to sound arrogant, but she could feel it whenever Westford was near that he was smitten with her, even though he hadn't ever admitted it. As horribly cliché as it was, they were sort of star-crossed lovers, mutual affection between them, along with several hundred miles and an entire war to contend with. If either of them had a hope of making a romance work, they would either have to be content with a long-distance relationship, or someone would have to transfer camps. Not only would this be frowned upon (just because of the stigma attached to transferring camps), but neither Iris nor Westford wanted to leave their respective camps. At least not over something that was never too strong anyway. It had only been a crush, not worth throwing away a year of history for. Right?

"I mean, we could always keep in contact, right?" Westford tried again.

"Sure," Iris agreed. "As friends…" she was sure to add, just so no hopes were falsely given.

"Ok," Westford replied. She could see him physically wilt as his one shot with her vanished but, at the same time, he had already accepted her answer. In his mind, if someone said no, that was the end of it. If Iris wasn't interested, he'd respect that. He even took a small step back to show that he didn't intend upon pushing her further. Iris may not have told him about Jason or Clover, but Westford thought he could sense that there was something holding her back from him, aside from the massive distance between their homes. It pained him to think of something bothering Iris and it pained him to think that this "something" was keeping her from him, but it was not his job to butt in and demand to know why they couldn't be together. She didn't owe an explanation, even though he did want one.

"As friends," he repeated. That would have to be good enough for now. But it was. It was good enough. It wasn't often he met someone who treated him as a human and not a god of limitless intelligence or his father's clone or just some far-away idol for the rest of Camp Reed to revere as a new heir. Iris was one of the few people he knew who only saw Westford for Westford. He would keep Iris somehow, even if it wasn't as a lover. Friendship was no less valuable than romance and having a girl as accepting as that as a friend was a treasure in and of itself.

"As friends," Iris agreed, repeating it for a third time just to solidify it, then she and Westford shared one last shy smile. In the back of her mind, Iris couldn't help but feel like this would've been the perfect moment for a kiss goodbye, but the last thing she wanted to do was confuse her or Westford's feelings so, instead, she nodded politely at him before heading off to find Maxim, Storm, and her other Camp Heath comrades. Westford watched her go even after she was out of sight and he heaved one sad sigh before returning to Camp Reed's main building.

Once Iris was on the subway, she allowed her face to fall just a little. It seemed to be her own little curse to fall in love so quickly. She hadn't ever told anyone before but, she actually a hopeless romantic. It didn't take much for her to fawn over someone. In fact, even though she'd only had one girlfriend and three boyfriends, she'd had many, many more crushes. In fact, one of her most intense had been on a coworker from just a couple years back. Unfortunately, the girl had not been interested. Iris was devastated by the rejection, though she hid it well. And she had, admittedly, had the tiniest of crushes on Clover in their youth, though she was pretty sure that it hadn't ever been serious. It was just the idle semi-romances that some especially close friends would experience from time to time. Iris had never felt a deep desire to act upon that particular crush.

But that was usually how it went. Even though Iris had experienced enough crushes to last a life time, her self-control and, generally, good judgment that kept her from ever having too many failed relationships. She wasn't one to jump in too quickly. Of course, being a teenager meant she had endured heartbreak and stupid mistakes from love in the past, but she was lucky to have never suffered anything too traumatic. Mostly, breakups occurred due to incompatibility or just a general drift apart. She'd never experienced the pain of cheating or abuse. Clover had been on the end of both, however, one of her boyfriends cheating on her with some other dude and then the second guy growing impatient when Clover refused to sleep with him. Luckily, though, Clover had been able to get out of both relationships quickly, but the emotional scars had still been pretty rough.

Iris' worst had been mere incompatibility and the strange but very real phenomenon when two lovers would just kind of grow tired of one another. Like a candle slowly dying. There was no explosion or blazing finish, just a dwindling light that finally extinguished in the passage of time. But since Iris knew that she held these flaws and this emotional immaturity and since she knew she was a hopeless romantic, she was able to think rationally about this little crush on Westford. Even though it was already feeling like one of the more intense and serious crushes, like her coworker one, she knew that it wouldn't be worth pursuing. She supposed that, technically, she and Westford could try a long-distance relationship, but Iris was a person who needed her lover to be physically present. She wouldn't thrive in a long-distance affair and she knew it.

"Thank Denbar!" Storm's muttered grunt tore Iris from her thoughts and she realized that their subway cart was slowing down. Without even realizing it, she'd just spent about two hours thinking about what a hopeless romantic she was. Embarrassed, Iris quickly shook her head and intentionally tried to be the first one back in camp. As important as romance was to her, Iris knew that she did have more pressing matters to deal with and the tragedy of a doomed love and being a hopeless romantic would have to wait another day. She couldn't brood over boys forever. Not when there was a war to be won! Besides, maybe this crush was more of Iris being in love with the idea of being in love, and less about trying to find a solid and lasting relationship. That had happened to her before where she was more caught up in the dreamy side of romance and not enough so on the reality side of it. But then again, life was very strange. All hope might not be lost. But now was not the time to try and get them up. Iris wasted no further thought of hopeless romantics as she ran back through Camp Heath's entry archway and into the arms of her home camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry the last half of this chapter became a philosophy on love. But either way, tell me what you thought! When it comes to Westford and Iris (which I admittedly ship more than I ever shipped Jason and Iris), what did you all think? Should I canonize it or not? It would be cute to see them together, but I really don't want to succumb to the star-crossed lovers theme, even though Iris referenced the idea herself. Anyways, what are your thoughts? About this chapter and the silly lost love in it?


	30. More Patrols

Once Maxim, Storm, Iris and the others entered camp, nothing but a flurry of activity was waiting for them.

"Oh, goodness! To think I've missed out on all of this!" Maxim huffed, sounding frustrated. Storm sneered at the man behind his back while Iris hid a giggle. Everyone else could only stare in exasperated horror. They had hoped that they would've come home to find things at least relatively peaceful, but people were running willy nilly all over camp. It didn't appear that there was any combat going on, but the returning soldiers clearly were going to have their hands full with more patrols…

"Alright, hopefully you all know who to go to for your next assignment," Maxim said finally, address his Camp Reed team. "If you don't mind, I must be off now. Important business to attend to, being deputy and all!" he added, then he darted away without another look back, leaving the others to slowly disband and spread out across their home camp. Out of the frying pan and into the oven, out of one crazy mission and into another. Oh well, such was the life of a soldier.

"No, I, as a soldier of almost 11 years, have no idea who to go to for my next task!" Storm shouted at Maxim as he ran away, but he didn't respond.

"Ok, Storm. Let him go," Iris chuckled, touching Storm's arm as he ran further and further. "He's got a point. I think we'd better get back to work."

"I guess you're right," Storm allowed, then she and Iris followed Maxim and the rest of the group deeper into camp, ready for their next task.

Over the whole month of July, life continued to roll on at a fast pace. Soldiers continued to come and go as battles were won and lost. New and old, living and dead, visitors and residents, there was a large mix of soldiers to be seen in Camp Heath now a days.

"This is crazy!" Iris grunted after returning from another patrol mission where she and several others had been tasked with running off all the Noctifers plaguing the edges of the training forest. There had been a vulnerable spot on the far east side, but a new troop was being sent to patch it up as Iris' patrol was coming back from clearing it of the Noctifers.

"This is war," Storm replied with a grim smile as she watched Iris stagger over. It was clear that the tiny brunette was exhausted, but their work was nowhere near complete. Instead, Iris would be lucky if she managed to snag a quick rest before heading out on more patrols. But Iris had to admit, her tasks could've been a lot more demanding. For example, Jason had been on more patrols even longer than Iris had because of the Camp Reed mission and, being Dr. Lockewood's son, he still helped out at the hospital sometimes. True, several new doctors had finally arrived at Camp Heath, but extra hands were always needed and Jason was the easiest person to ask. This meant he worked even harder than Iris.

But speaking of Jason, Iris still hadn't seen much of him. She understood why, but there were moments when she regretted what had happened between them. She regretted losing him over something that hadn't necessarily been worth a breakup. Oh, Clover's death had been the single worst moment in Iris' life and it was far from a small ordeal, but there had been plenty of couples who'd managed to stay together through a tragedy of similar caliber and there were days when Iris felt bad that she and Jason hadn't been one of those couples. It left her with a lingering sense of shame and embarrassment that she had lost sight of Jason through her tears for Clover, but it had happened and there was no going back. So Iris and Jason continued this casual avoidance. And with a war going on, that game was very easy to play. There were always excuses and alibis.

But if there was one person who never tried to hide from Iris, it was Storm. Even though the woman was probably the busiest soldier in all of Denbar, she continued to give every effort to spend time with Iris every day.

"So, how are you doing today?" Storm asked casually, managing to meet Iris right before Iris went off on yet another patrol.

"I'm doing well. I just wish we weren't so freaking busy all the time," Iris replied dryly. "I'm about to head off on more patrols."

"Same here," Storm replied in a similar tone. "But this is war, so can you say you're surprised?" she asked.

"Not surprised. Just annoyed," Iris cracked the smallest of smiles and Storm returned it. "I must have a kill count in the hundreds this month alone!"

"Ha, I bet mine are in the thousands!" Storm replied with a smirk, though both of them knew that such a number was too high, even for Storm.

"Alright you two! Get back to your posts! You've got more patrols to be on!" a voice interrupted the duo. Iris' shoulders slumped in annoyance while Storm shot a death-glare at the person who dared interrupt her little conversation with Iris.

"Doesn't that person know I've earned my rest?!" Storm demanded under her breath. "I've worked longer and harder than any other soldier here, so I think I deserve a five-minute breather!"

"Maybe they didn't know," Iris replied, trying to act as the voice of reason and compassion, though she was pretty ticked off too. Storm was entirely right. There was no one in the entire army who deserved to rest more than Storm, but of course, that soldier might not have known that. So, with reluctance, Iris bade Storm farewell before joining the rest of her team on more patrols. Storm's scowl faded back into a smile as she returned the farewell and wished Iris luck, then she darted off as well, headed off to her next task. The soldier who had called her away in the first place was seen running off quickly when Storm came too near. That gave her some satisfaction.

As Iris moved out on her patrol, she couldn't help but chuckle a little about all that had just occurred. Storm certainly had changed since they first met almost a year ago, but nobody seemed to see it except for Iris. Maybe the change was only visible to her? Iris wasn't sure. The Storm she knew could be gruff, sure, but certainly not cruel or haughty. But everyone else said so. The entire camp seemed to fear her, but Iris never felt anything less than the utmost security while with the blond soldier. In fact, Storm was one of the people Iris felt most relaxed around. She was always good for a laugh or a witty remark. It was weird that everyone else seemed so certain that Storm still hated pretty much everything. Storm certainly didn't hate Iris. But, oh well. Each to their own. Iris didn't have time to fully muse about the changes Storm had displayed to her anyway.

Meanwhile, the object of Iris musing went out on another patrol too. She, Gale, and a few others were on the shore.

"Seen anything yet?" Storm demanded of Gale, voice low and eyes narrow as they skimmed the golden beach.

"No, not yet," Gale replied, scanning both his surroundings and a little radar that Camp Reed had sent them just a few days ago.

"Do you think we'll even find anything?" another soldier asked. Storm shot the soldier a withering and disgusted look.

"Ummm, duh! Captain wouldn't have sent us out here if he didn't expect trouble!" she snapped. The soldier looked affronted and hurt, but didn't dare say a word against Storm. Gale, meanwhile, shot her a chiding look, silently pleading her to be a little nicer.

"You didn't have to snap," he whispered to her as the poor soldier whom Storm had snapped at sulked off.

"Then that soldier shouldn't have asked such a stupid question," Storm whispered back, entirely unrepentant about her brisk tone.

Gale only heaved another sigh, but then a thought came to him.

"Iris probably wouldn't have approved," he dared to say.

"Yes? Well, Iris isn't here right now, is she?" Storm asked back sharply. The moment Gale said Iris' name, Storm went on guard. Usually, when he name-dropped Iris, it was because he was about to launch into some lecture or another because he knew she was a vulnerable spot for Storm. Her theory was proven correct barely five seconds later.

"So that's how you're going to live your life? You're only going to behave when she's around?" Gale sighed again.

"First off, I already told you that having an apprentice wasn't going to change anything," Storm retorted. "Second of all, I wish you'd quit acting like Iris was some kind of morality pet. I behave the same way around her that I do to everyone else and that hasn't changed once in 10 years! Iris does not control or define me or my choices and I don't need her as a moral compass. My own works just fine, thank you very much!"

"Nonsense!" Gale replied. "I've seen you, Storm. Whether or not you care to admit it, you have changed. Admittedly, you've changed more around her than anyone else, but you most definitely have changed. And it's a step in the right direction! But I'm just saying that it shouldn't end with Iris."

"Even if that were true, why not?" Storm asked. "She's the only one with any sense around here!" she shot another glare at the soldier who'd asked if they would find anything on the patrol. Said soldier was a few yards away and, thankfully, missed what Storm had just said.

"You're only saying that because she saved your life," Gale said.

"You don't say?" Storm shot Gale a sarcastic look.

"I mean, of course that makes sense, but I'm saying you ought to let the warmth you've shown Iris spill out into the rest of camp," elaborated Gale. "You should treat everyone else the way you treat Iris."

"Why, though?" Storm demanded. "It's my life, the choice is mine. Not yours or Iris'. Mine!"

"Because it's selfish to not to and it would be a real improvement if you started treating everyone else with the same respect you show Iris," Gale said. "Whether or not you think we deserve it, there is no reason for you to be as cruel as you are. Iris has already proven that you do have a heart, however unwilling it may be, but now you need to start using it beyond Iris. You need to prove that you actually do care. You need to prove that you don't need Iris in order to be a good person!" Gale finished. "You need to grow!"

"But I don't!" Storm protested.

"And that's exactly what I fear," Gale's face grew unnaturally grim. "I worry, sometimes, that you only treat Iris with any warmth at all because you feel you owe her for saving your life. It's like you wouldn't treat her so well if you didn't feel in debt to her."

"That's not true!" Storm reared back angrily, accidently raising her voice. When the others turned to her in confusion, she waved a dismissive and angry hand at them, commanding them to ignore her. "That's not true," she repeated, softer, but no less angry. "I do care for Iris, genuinely."

"I knew it," Gale replied with a smirk, but then the smirk faded. "I do believe you. I'm just saying that Iris can't be the end of your quest to be a better soldier. That's all," the man lowered his head to indicate that he was done talking, then he left her side and darted ahead up the shore.

Storm watched him go bitterly. This self-righteous speech about being kind to everyone was easy for him to say because he'd always had a natural inclination to kindness. Try being Storm for a day! Try as she did, her experiences in life had just twisted her mind too much. That wasn't to say she was evil or heartless, she just lacked the skill and bravery that it took to be open, honest and vulnerable with people. It was easier said than done when it came to being kind and social. Why didn't Gale understand that? Not everyone was as friendly and charming as he.

Even Iris was still very much in the dark when it came to Storm. The girl knew nothing of her past or why she was so bitter in the first place. Iris knew nothing of the real Storm. She knew nothing about Storm's trials and tribulations. Although Gale had been right about Storm showing a special fondness for the tiny brunette, he was wrong to think that Iris somehow had the key to Storm's heart. That was stupid and it was an overstatement. No one had that key except Storm herself and that was how it was going to stay! That key was a vulnerable spot which meant only Storm was allowed to see it! Not even Iris had been able to glean more than what Storm was willing to share. That wasn't saying much. Iris might've seen more than most, but it wasn't even close to seeing everything Storm had.

The blond shook her head with an angry sigh before following the rest of her patrol along the beach. She knew Gale only wanted what was best for her and she had to admit that being nicer to people probably would benefit her too in the long run, but it wasn't easy to do. She just had always felt a little out of place at Camp Heath. And pride got in the way too, along with that outcast feeling. Aside from Captain, Gale and Tempest, Iris had been the only person Storm felt… safe around. And she didn't mean 'safe' in a physical sense. She meant more in an emotional sense. Though she still hadn't told Iris even a fraction of her life's story or struggle, she did feel like it would be easier to be vulnerable around Iris than anybody else. Maybe it was because Iris was younger and therefore more innocent and open-minded. Maybe it was because she and Iris had saved each other so many times already. Maybe it was because of how loyal and friendly Iris was. No matter what happened, it was a rare thing for Iris to leave Storm's side unless Storm requested it.

No one else had ever been able to give her this much attention, not even Captain, Gale and Tempest. Captain, being camp leader, always had to be careful he never showed too much favoritism for Storm and he was a very busy man. Gale and Tempest were married. Storm felt like third-wheel around them despite their best efforts to treat her as an equal. It was just, as wonderful as they were, it was evident that they were a couple and Storm would always be just a little bit on the outside. That constant sense of just being a little bit on the outside had been what made Storm so withdrawn in the first place.

But Iris always made her feel like an equal, like she had somewhere to go. Even though Iris had Clover and (once upon a time) Jason and other friends, Iris always managed to fit Storm into her schedule, even through her mourning process. That was something Storm had yet to repay and was perhaps the reason Storm liked her so much. It wasn't Iris' willingness to save her, though that was definitely a bonus, it was how naturally Iris treated her. She wasn't a goddess or a monster in those purple eyes, she was a comrade. She was a friend and equal. Iris had always seen her differently than the rest of the world had and she'd always been different from the normal soldiers Storm had to deal with. It was this uniqueness in Iris that so attracted Storm to her…

"AAAAARRRRGHHHHHH!" an agonized scream, coupled with something big and greenish-black shooting out of the waves, cut Storm off mid-thought and she and everyone else on patrol turned just in time to see one of their soldiers getting lifted into the air and hovered back out over the open water.

"ATTACK!" Storm howled, without even meaning to. She cursed herself, her thoughts of Iris creating a vulnerable spot in their defenses.

Suddenly, the beach was alive with activity as soldiers ran bravely into the water, swinging their weapons as hard as they could. All thoughts of Iris had flown entirely from Storm's mind and, suddenly, she was back to the fierce and merciless warrior that everyone knew and feared. Her only thoughts now were on how to take down this next big opponent and all eight of its long and slimy tentacles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Once again, the second half of the chapter went from story to musing. I'm sorry if it bores my readers, but I regret nothing. You all haven't told me what you thought of this story yet, so I'm going to assume you like it as is and I will keep proceeding as planned.


	31. Camp Greene

The patrols and hunts for Noctifers continued on but, come late July, a change of pace was finally in order for several Camp Heath soldiers. Those soldiers included Jason, Tempest, Storm and Iris and the change in store for them was a mission trip to another camp. Cross-Camp Quests had been ongoing since Camp Reed called for Camp Heath back in June, but this was the first one Iris was going on since then. Apparently, Camp Greene had been taking more blows than most of the other camps, so they were now calling for help. With Camp Heath doing really well, Captain had no issue in sending a nice-sized party to their aid.

"It'll only be a month, tops," Captain told the large party as he personally escorted them to the subway. It was larger than the party sent to Camp Reed just because the mission was a larger scale. Instead of being tasked specifically with capturing a Noctifer, the soldiers now had the goal of just helping the camp stay alive. That was also why the mission was longer in terms of time, and not just in terms of size.

"A month? Wow. That's long," Storm muttered. Everyone noticed that Storm sounded almost… nervous, but no one dared mention it. Instead, they all silently agreed with her. Camp Greene was pretty much a camp version of Storm. The thought of them needing enough help to last a month was disconcerting, to say the least. But Captain reassured them all.

"It won't necessarily be constant fighting," he said. "It may be just for patrols or rebuilding."

"Urgh!" Jason and Iris groaned in unison at the thought. Captain and Tempest both laughed in reply.

"It has to be done," Captain reminded them gently. "Even if it is boring and physically painful."

"We suppose," Iris answered for them both, as Jason had fallen into an awkward silence. It was clear that they were trying to at least get back on friendly terms, but it was easier said than done. Especially since they hadn't spoken in quite awhile. Iris felt ready to move on, but she had no clue if Jason did, but that wasn't exactly something you could just casually ask your ex.

"Anyway, I meant that I only promised you for a month," Captain continued. "The mission could be shorter. And if the mission does need to be longer, they'll have to ask me first because, if not, I'm bringing you guys home, no matter what they say."

"Good," Storm replied softly. Only Iris heard her, because of her advanced hearing, but she couldn't help but wonder what that meant. Why was Storm so antsy about going to Camp Greene? Of course, Storm got antsy any time she had to go anywhere at all, but at least the reasons for her dislike of the other camps were obvious. She hated going to Camp Steuben because of Grau, she hated going to Camp Reed because of Northson, and she hated going to Denbar because it took her away from the action of the war camps.

But why wouldn't she like Camp Greene? A camp like that on a mission like this should've been paradise for Storm! Besides, even though Storm may have protested going to Camp Steuben Reed and Denbar, she always went. She would complain, but she would never turn down a mission. But now? Iris thought she detected something deeper within Storm's words that indicated a genuine desire to stay home, like if she were offered the same chance to quit as always, she'd say yes. She wouldn't decline and come along anyway, she would actually leave this party if she was allowed to. But why? What in Camp Greene bothered her so much? And should anyone else be concerned? Iris tried to think on what Storm's problem might've been, but the longer and harder she thought, the more she realized that Storm had never really spoken much about her time outside of Camp Heath. Iris didn't know her as well as she'd assumed.

Before Iris could muse more on Storm's inexplicable jitteriness any further, though, the large group reached the subway.

"Well, this is it!" a new voice said. It was Dr. Lockewood. She had taken a brief bit of time off to come say farewell to her baby boy and managed to arrive at the subway before the large party did.

"Alright Ma, you can go!" Jason interrupted awkwardly before she could do something embarrassing in front of everyone else.

"Oh, sorry, dear" Dr. Lockewood replied, but then she proceeded to coddle and smother Jason anyway. Just as Jason feared, everyone began to laugh, even Iris. Jason felt himself turn red at this. Although she didn't know it, he was at about the same stage of the breakup process she was, so watching her laugh at him and his mother wasn't fun. He tried to push her away, but she was strong. She was a doctor, though, of course she'd be strong! There was a lot of lifting of heavy patients and equipment. She had muscles!

"You be a good boy and make your family proud!" Dr. Lockewood hummed cheerfully as she continued to crush her son.

"Errr mnnt mmmhpph," Jason replied while she continued to kiss and coo at him, caressing his brown hair and smothering him.

"Oh! Oops," Dr. Lockewood finally let Jason go and he gulped in a lungful of fresh air. People were still laughing. "Sorry, dear," Dr. Lockewood continued to apologize sheepishly, seeing her son blushing fiercely and trying to avoid her hazel eyes.

"Don't worry, Ma," Jason replied with a grunt, trying to force the blush to stop. "I'll be fine!"

"I know you will," Dr. Lockewood replied, then she finally took a step back and, while Captain gave the final orders to Storm and Tempest, who were the co-leaders of this mission, everyone else took their seats in the subway.

"Good luck," Captain told them all, eyes lingering on Storm and Tempest.

"Thank you, sir," the two replied in perfect unison. Captain nodded once at them, then sent them on their way.

"This should be fun," Jason murmured, sliding down into his seat as the cart peeled out of its station.

"Hopefully," Iris answered, masking a chuckle at the lipstick stain on his cheek. As awkward as they were around each other, they still were able to speak from time to time and the lipstick stain was kind of funny. Iris had no doubt her own parents would've reacted much the same, but there was something always so hilarious about watching Dr. Lockewood interact with her son.

"Don't worry. You'll like Camp Greene," Tempest was smiling, though not at Jason. "I actually used to be a soldier there, but I transferred out."

"Transferred out?" Iris echoed. That wasn't something one said with a smile on their faces.

"Yeah," Tempest confessed. "I had only been there for a few years, but there was so much fighting going on between the soldiers themselves that I switched out and came to Heath. It was too much drama and backstabbing and just general craziness."

"Fighting between the soldiers?" Jason and Iris asked. Tempest nodded grimly before elaborating.

Camp Greene had been a very strong and stable camp for many, many years, but all of that went down the drain when the camp ended up losing their leader, their deputy and a bunch of other very elite soldiers all in one battle. The entire chain of command had been severed so that left a power vacuum in Camp Greene. Debates about who ought to rule turned into arguments and campaigning which then turned into several fights which then turned into something akin to a civil war. No peaceful agreement upon a new leader was reached and mini factions arose within the camp and everyone had to choose a side, even if they didn't join in on the combat directly. It really was a disgraceful and disheartening thing to see. The soldiers were so busy fighting one another that the Noctifers were starting to win more than they lost. Tempest left after almost a year of having to watch her beloved camp divide amongst itself. She put in a request to go to Camp Heath and even though Archon advised that she might do better in Camp Reed, she was firm in her choice and had been a Camp Heath soldier from that day forward. In time, however, Camp Greene got a new leader and the quarreling ended, but not before enough emotional damage was done that several more soldiers dropped out as well.

The brunette trailed off sadly as she finished the dark story, but she took a deep breath and forced a smile back onto her face. "Anyway, things really have gotten far better since then, that time being almost a decade ago, so I think you'll like it!" she promised.

"I hope so," Jason replied, though he didn't sound too sure now that he knew Camp Greene had held a rebellion of its own. There was a stereotype going around that Camp Steuben was always the camp most likely to revolt and even though that stereotype did have some foundation, it was a mistake to think that the others, including "noble" Camp Greene, wouldn't do the same. After all, Tempest had just confessed that the whole camp spent nearly a year fighting one another over the lead role! He shook his head in disgust. Camp Heath would never do anything like that! Right?

"Those dark times are over," Tempest insisted again, seeing Jason's disbelief. "I'm sorry if I scared you, but I promise you that Camp Greene has gotten better. I speak from experience. I've been on several missions there before, and it's just like how I remembered."

"But then, why didn't you ever move back?" Jason asked, the question entire sincere.

"Because I met Gale," a tiny but very real and very warm smile graced her face. "I met him and I knew at once that I could not leave him. Unless he came with me, I would stay at Camp Heath as long as he was there." Tempest didn't need to say anything else for Jason and Iris to understand.

The trio fell into a peaceful silence after that, Tempest smilingly gently as she continued to think about her husband and how he had been one of the best things to ever happen to her, the first to make her feel ok after abandoning her original camp. As relaxed as Tempest was now when it came to talking about transferring out of Camp Greene, she had been far more insecure about it in the past. She tried to hide that truth from everyone, even though her record openly stated that she was a Transfer Out.

It became like a scar to her, but Gale was the very first to insist that even if she was a Transfer Out, that didn't make her a bad person, nor did it make her inherently disloyal and cowardly. He spent every day trying to get her to see that this choice wasn't one she should've been ashamed of and, in time, the rest of Camp Heath adopted that way of thinking until Tempest was truly welcomed into the family, but since Gale was the first to see her as something other than a dreaded Transfer Out, he was the one she felt she owed the most.

Storm was the second person to see Tempest as something other than a Transfer Out. Tempest smiled as she cast a sideways glance at the woman sitting only a few seats over. Tempest loved Storm dearly and she couldn't help but mask a soft chuckle to see how ferociously the woman was scowling at the floor. Tempest wondered briefly if Storm was aware that her face had slipped back into its grumpier side and she wondered what on earth Storm was thinking about to make her look so, but she had the sense and manners to not ask. Even if she had, Storm wouldn't have given her an honest answer, if any at all. But that was only because Storm's thoughts, though about a past time like Tempest's, were far less happy.

Two hours later, the subway cart slowed down, reaching its destination.

"Here we are!" Tempest grinned, jumping to her feet in genuine excitement. Beside her, Storm, who hadn't made a noise the whole ride over, stood up slowly, an almost pained expression upon her face. She couldn't have looked more different from Tempest if she tried, but once again, only Iris noticed this strange gloominess. She supposed that everyone else was assuming Storm's anger was nothing out of the ordinary, but Iris had spent enough time around the stoic blond to know when she was genuinely upset or just in her trademark grumpiness. Right now was one of those former times, but Iris still couldn't fathom why and she didn't dare to ask. At least not yet…

Tempest led the group out of the subway and up to the surface world.

"Oooh, nice," Jason was the first to say anything, but everyone else's mind ran a similar track. From what the group could see at the moment, it would take a small hike to reach the entryway, it being situated on the top of a hill. Once there, though, the group was met with another interesting design. At the top of that hill, there was the classic metal archway acting as an entrance. This one was painted gold. Beside it was a large pine tree on either side, then beside those pine trees was a long, strong stone wall that stretched out either direction for about five miles before tapering off. The point of the wall was for defensive purpose in case anything tried to come up the hill, hence why it only stretched five miles either direction when the total length of Camp Greene was larger than that. There would never be an attack from the back of Camp Greene, the back being a sharp drop off a cliff into the sea. They didn't have a beach or shore the way Camp Heath did, just a drop off that it was forbidden to jump from just because of how impossible it would be to ever climb back out. There was no place for recreational swimming there.

Once the group passed the golden entryway, they could see that stone wall didn't encompass much of the camp at all, it was only because the entry to camp was small and the wall had a slight curve that it gave off the illusion that the entire camp was sealed. The inside of the camp was more than just large, though. It was also very intricate. Straight ahead was a simple road, cabins lining it all the way to one smaller cabin at the very end. That was the leadership cabin. Beyond that was nothing except a forest that would eventually lead into that long, flat cliff that led to the sea. On either side of the main road were forests. The western forest was far smaller and several buildings dotted the area. The eastern one reminded Iris and the others of Camp Heath's own training forest and they were all willing to wager that a training forest was exactly what they were looking at. So the sea was ahead, the walled entrance was behind, public buildings were left and a training forest was to the right. Simple enough. But all very compact into a nice, intricate place that resembled a town.

The group had just finished taking this brief study of Camp Greene when a trio of Camp Greene soldiers sauntered over to them. In the lead was a plump woman with dark copper skin. She was average size but the way she held herself made her appear tall. She also wore relatively few clothes compared to the Camp Heath soldiers who had come in full armor. It was a strange sight because the group had expected to be busy fighting and patrolling, but the tank top and shorts the woman wore indicated that things were quiet at the moment. Her hair was worn in cornrows, braided all the way to the middle of her back and it contained strands coloring from black to brown to gold to every shade in between. The way she walked, with a mix of relaxation and dominance, made it clear that she was the camp leader.

To her left was another woman, though her skin was far darker. It was still a bit lighter than Maxim's, but only by a little. Her hair was in a buzz cut. She was not entirely bald, but it was close. She wore a long reddish robe of sorts that looked a little heavy. Perhaps it was some mix of casual clothes and armor? Was it something that looked and felt comfortable, but could still offer a bit of protection should anything happen? Her step wasn't quite as bold as her leader, but it was still confident.

The last of the trio was a man who looked a lot like Gale, except he was a bit shorter and stouter. In addition, he had a goatee, and it was dyed blond. It was a strange thing to see, a man with black hair and a gold goatee, but there was something sort of cute and intriguing about it. It was bold and eye-catching, but also humorous and unique. He also looked to be the oldest of the trio. If the women were about Tempest's age, this man was anywhere from five to 10 years older. His step was by far the most relaxed and he was grinning widely at the visiting crew, a massive sword at his hip. The women were unarmed. Or at least, the weapons were not visible.

"Tanya Banks!" Tempest was the first to speak, breaking away from the Camp Heath group to sprint over to the Camp Greene leader.

"Well, someone's happy," a Camp Heath soldier chuckled at the almost schoolgirl-ish way Tempest ran and shouted. What made it infinitely more amusing was when the camp leader, Tanya Banks, did the exact same thing.

"Ayyyyy! Tempest Weathers!" that serious and powerful expression melted from her face and she begin to grin, showing her teeth as she ran back at Tempest just as quickly, the two meeting in the middle and slamming into each other for a hug.

"Sweet Denbar! I didn't know this was a teenager girl's slumber party!" someone else muttered.

"Shh," Iris insisted. "Let them be!" the soldier grunted something at her, but she ignored it in favor of watching the reunion, the two women paling around giving one another kisses and noogies. It reminded her of the way she and Clover would sometimes over-dramatically greet each other after spending any more than a day or two apart. Clover.

Iris smiled painfully as a surge of grief pierced her heart again. There were some days when Iris wouldn't think very much of Clover at all. There were others when Clover was all that was on her mind for the day. Then there were these strange in betweens where Clover would either be a phantom lingering at the corners of her dreams and waking, or would interrupt at random, suddenly reinserting herself into Iris' life as though to remind the girl never to forget about her, even though their story was over. This was one of those times. But what was Clover worried about? Iris would never forget. As if that was even possible. Watching Tempest and Tanya reminded Iris of this and it caused her great joy and pain to watch.

"Ahhhh! How've you been, sister?!" Tanya demanded, finally getting off of Tempest. She and Tempest weren't really related, but they were close enough that Tanya considered her just like one. They had been best friends back when Tempest was still with Camp Greene and even now, though they rarely saw one another, every reunion was worth at least a small celebration. Some friendships were lucky enough not to fade with time, both parties able to love the other just as fiercely as before, even when a vast distance separated them. This was the case with Tanya and Tempest, both of them going nuts at being united again. Tanya had taken it hardest when Tempest left, though she hadn't interfered with the choice. Instead, she made sure to welcome Tempest back whenever Tempest came to visit, despite some of the soldiers insisting that Tempest was a traitor for Transferring Out. Not that those soldiers lasted long once Tanya heard them.

"I've been well, I've been well!" Tempest grinned. It was a rare day to see her looking so wild and lively instead of calm and collected.

"Excellent!" Tanya clapped her old friend on the back happily. "Did Captain send you?"

"You know he did," Tempest replied.

"That good man!" Tanya closed her eyes and smiled. She was grateful that he sent her back here as often as he could. It meant a lot to her.

"So, what do you need us to do first?" Tempest asked excitedly, pale green eyes bright with readiness and excitement.

"Well, the very first thing you need to do is unpack. Then you can start heading out on patrols," Tanya answered.

"Great! We'll get right on it!" Tempest promised.

"We so need to hang out together later though," Tanya finished before Tempest could herd her team towards the cabins.

"Of course!" Tempest agreed eagerly. Tanya bade her farewell with one last kiss before taking her two companions back to where they had come while Tempest led her crew to their new home for the next month-ish. This would be an interesting stay if Tempest kept acting like this.

The rest of the day passed well enough. There was a brief Noctifer attack just an hour or so after lunch, but it was put down relatively fast. After that, nothing else popped up.

"Which is a genuine surprise," Tanya remarked. "Usually, we get way more than this. I wasn't bluffing when I said we needed help."

"We believed you," Tempest assured her old friend. "Let's just be grateful it was quiet today. I'm sure we'll see more concrete proof soon."

"Unfortunately," Tanya smiled dryly. But that particular day was quiet, the sun setting and moon rising all without interruption. Despite the slow day, however, it didn't take anyone long to fall asleep. Except for Storm. And then Iris, when she realized that Storm wasn't sleeping.

"Are you ok?" Iris finally dared to ask, finding the courage to ask Storm why she'd been so quiet and distant all day. Sure, moody and broody were in Storm's very DNA, but this was a bit much. And Iris wanted to know what was wrong. But Storm wasn't going to reply. Instead, she only nodded. "Are you sure?" Iris pressed. Another nod. "You don't look too good." a shrug. "Aren't you enjoying yourself?" a nod. "And there's nothing wrong?" a nod. Iris sighed. "Is there anything at all that I can do?" she pleaded. a shake of the head.

This carried on for a bit longer until-

"Will you speak to me?" Iris asked. For the longest time, Storm made no reply at all, verbal or non, but then she did finally open her mouth.

"I'm ok Iris. Really, I am," she insisted softly, sadly. "I'm just… thinking…" Iris could tell that there was way, way more to it than Storm was telling, but she had the sense not to push it. Instead, she only nodded softly. As badly as she wanted to know, she understood what it felt like to just want to be alone. It would be cruel of her to force Storm to talk when it was evident she was already doing something she didn't want to. Besides, even if Storm wasn't talking, she was still responding. That would have to be enough for now. But at the same time, even though Iris wouldn't push Storm, that didn't mean she couldn't still offer some help.

"Well, if you are ever ready to speak, you know I'd always be more than happy to listen," the tiny brunette promised.

"I know," Storm replied. "And thank you."

"Of course," Iris replied. "Anything for a friend…" then the two finally fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So this was a lot longer than planned. But I still think it was a good chapter. I think it set up the new camp and its soldiers well enough and it just might leave you wondering, what bad blood does Storm have with Camp Greene? Maybe she was part of that rebellion Tempest was talking about but just doesn't want to confess. Read on and see. And be prepared, there are new Gifted coming in the next chapter. Iris will finally find friends just like her. And I promise I won't kill these ones off. At least not yet…


	32. Other Gifted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Since I plan on having characters of many different genders/gender identities, I'm going to be using multiple neutral pronouns (ey/em or xe/xem). The list below will help you keep it straight. (Disclaimer, this table is NOT used in real life, I just made it for myself and this is a very rough categorization of non-binary identities, so I know already that this isn't an accurate representation of EVERYONE).

Over the next couple of weeks, Iris ended up learning quite a bit about Camp Greene, their soldiers and their fighting tactics. The first lesson was one of the most unpleasant, it being that Tanya had not been lying when she talked about how aggressive the enemy was up here. Sure, all the camps had their fair share of attacks, but it really did feel like Camp Greene got it the worst. Iris and the others understood pretty quickly why Camp Greene had felt the need to call in some back up.

"This is insane!" Jason had declared at one point as yet another small hoard of Noctifers came charging in from the west. "They aren't even supposed to be there!" he added, referring to the fact that the main hub of Noctifer activity was in the far east.

"They aren't stupid," Tanya reminded him with a rueful smile. "They know we know that their main base is on the far east, so I'm sure they've got little hidey-holes and such scattered all around this place so they never attack from the same spot more than once."

"Oh, joy of joys!" Jason sighed, but he picked up his sword again regardless.

That was the second lesson. Although it was already common knowledge that Camp Greene liked melee combat the best and preferred a more traditional and old-fashioned approach to combat, it was still something else to see a bunch of full grown soldiers charging head first at a Noctifer twice their size, screaming like madmen.

"This honestly reminds me of some of those old computer games I played as a kid," Iris remarked to herself as she watched Tanya and the two soldiers that were with her when Camp Heath arrived here. The trio was busy hacking and slashing, each landing a fierce blow before retreating a little to allow the next person in line to have a, literal, stab at it. The three continued their nonstop group attack until the Noctifer was dead. Yup. It was just like those online games where parties would band together to wipe out a common enemy, each player using some kind of special ability they had in order to help out.

This led into the third lesson. Those two people with Tanya were her wife and deputy. The darker skinned woman was Tanya's wife, Angelina Winter. She was taller and lither than Tanya and so she fought with a similarly shaped sword. It almost looked more like a spear, honestly. Then the man with the blond goatee, the deputy, who was named Barry Bauman, fought with a hammer. A really big hammer. It seemed like it should've been a tedious weapon, needing a lot of muscle to move it quickly and frequently, but Barry was slinging the thing around like it was no more than a feather. Iris could hear him hoot, holler and even sing as he slung the massive hammer over and over again. How many Noctifer bones ended up broken because of him? Iris was certain that the count would be really high and really impressive.

The third lesson blended into the fourth, Iris meeting two more Camp Greene soldiers. These two quickly became Iris' favorites. Why? Because they were other Gifted! Finally! After so long being alone, Iris had finally found some new friends! In her purple eyes, neither Grau nor Vesper counted and she hadn't met any other Gifted since, so to Iris, these two other Gifted were gifts in their own right. The first was a young soldier who went by last name only. The soldier had short black hair, narrow yellow eyes, cream-colored skin, several black tattoos that slithered up both arms. The left arm had what looked like a dragon and the right was just various symbols, including several lightning bolts. The soldier also wore a small, silver nose ring that wasn't easily seen from far away.

"The name's Wilde and the pronouns are xe/xem," Wilde greeted Iris with a big smile the first time they were able ever to talk.

"Well, hello Wilde," Iris replied, taking Wilde's outstretched hand and shaking it politely. Wilde chuckled.

"You're a shy one, I can tell," xe said as Iris let go.

"What do you mean?" Iris asked, studying Wilde in attempt to guess xyr Gift.

"I mean that handshake! So gentle!" Wilde laughed.

"Well then how do you-?" Iris didn't even get to finish before Wilde answered, grabbing her hand again and shaking it good and hard. This time, though, right before Wilde let go, Iris felt a jolt of pain surge through the palm of her hand.

"Ouch!" it hadn't hurt too terribly, but it had been such a surprise that she jerked away nonetheless. Wilde was laughing even harder now.

"Ah! That works every time!" xe crowed.

"What does?" Iris demanded, inspecting her palm. Not a scar, trace or injury to be seen, but it still tingled.

"My joy-buzzer," Wilde waved an empty hand, but as xe did so, bits of electricity flared up from xyr fingers. Xyr yellow eyes were glowing now.

"Oh, lightning, I should've guessed," Iris deadpanned ruefully as the sparks continued to fly off of Wilde's hands. Wilde grinned and nodded.

"Now how about you?" Wilde asked, shoving xyr hand into Iris' for a third time. It was a clear sign that Iris, at the moment, had consent to do whatever she wanted with Wilde when it came to proving her Gift. Iris had to hand it to Wilde, xe was very trusting and playful. Iris wondered if xe would've been so quick to a handshake if xe knew, ahead of time, what Iris' own Gift was.

"I don't think you want to do that," Iris hinted with a smirk.

"Come on! I can take it!" Wilde insisted. Iris could feel excited electricity crackling across her skin because of Wilde's anticipation.

"No, you really, honestly, literally can't," Iris smiled apologetically, removing her hand from Wilde's.

"What? Why? What do you mean?" for the first time since they'd started talking, Wilde finally sounded a little serious. It was clear xe was finally getting the hint that Iris' Gift wasn't nearly as safe to mess around with as xyr own. And that was saying something!

"I can show you, just not with your own hand," Iris replied, then she walked over to a tree only a few feet away, pressed an open palm to it and didn't' move for about five seconds. Then, when she withdrew her hand, there was a large, dark circle on the bark. It was slimy to the touch and smelled like rotting, dead wood.

"Decay?!" Wilde sounded mildly impressed, glad at that moment that Iris had chosen not to use xyr hand after all. Xe cringed at the thought. Iris gave Wilde a grim grin, pleased to say that it appeared that Wilde was just a little freaked out. Good. That was revenge for the shock.

But in time, Wilde got over xyr own shock regarding Iris' Gift and realized something.

"You know what's funny? Our other Gifted here at Camp Greene literally has the exact opposite Gift you have! What are the odds?" xe said.

"What do you mean? Can this person heal?" Iris asked.

"Bingo," Wilde replied. "Why don't you come on and meet em. As I'm sure you can imagine, ey works at our hospital!" then before Iris could say more, Wilde was dragging her off from the training forest to the Camp Greene Hospital. Wilde certainly lived up to xyr name…

"Wilde! What poor soul have you injured now?" an old man with thinning gold hair was the first to greet Wilde and Iris upon their arrival. He was a very tall and sturdy fellow despite his age, though this was perfectly normal. Humans in Denbar didn't start showing signs of age until around the age of 80 and they didn't start to physically deteriorate or suffer any extra ills until the age of 90. Iris was guessing this man was in his sixties just given his somewhat ruddy appearance.

"Why do you always assume that whenever I bring someone in that it's my fault?" Wilde asked with a pout.

"Because it usually is," the man replied with a laugh.

"Well not this time!" Wilde defended. "This is the Camp Heath Gifted girl!" Wilde shoved Iris forward.

"Hi," Iris grinned sheepishly, nearly tripping because of Wilde's push.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Kit Everett," the other Gifted greeted Iris with a polite little bow and a gentle handshake before shooting a subtle glare at Wilde who feigned innocence. Meanwhile, Iris was inwardly relieved that eir handshake hadn't been as… excited, as Wilde's. Speaking of…

"Oh! And you'll never believe what her Gift is! Go on, guess!" Wilde pleaded.

"If I'll never guess, why are you then asking me to try and guess?" Kit teased, pretending to be confused by Wilde's contradictory demands.

"Kit!" Wilde whined, but this only made Kit laugh harder, it was a deep and full sound. Ey only shook eir head, however, and refused to guess, despite Wilde's repeated demands. At last, though, Iris ended this little cycle.

"I can decay things at will," she said.

"What?" Kit was woken up from teasing Wilde. "Decay things?"

"Yeah! Show em, Iris!" Wilde interrupted, pulling out a nearby washcloth that would've been used to clean a patient's wounds. Kit raised an eyebrow, but bade Iris to use the washcloth as Wilde was so insistent upon. Iris looked hard at the little square of white and slowly, the threads became frayed and undone until the entire cloth was nothing but an old rag, then even the fibers making up the thread began to break down. Kit's own eyes, which were gold (not yellow), as Iris noted, widened.

"Isn't it funny?!" Wilde asked excitedly, casually tossing the few remaining threads of the rag over xyr shoulder. "You can heal and she decays?!" Iris grinned sheepishly again while Kit continued to stand stock-still. A part of em wanted to chastise Wilde for just throwing the rag on the ground instead of in a proper trashcan, but at the same time, ey was so intent upon Iris that ey forgot about Wilde temporarily.

"Could you fix the rag if you tried?" asked Iris.

"No, my Gift only works on living things," Kit replied, finally finding eir voice. "My Gift is, in layman terms, healing. But it's a tad more complex than that. I mean, my Gift basically induces and speeds up mitosis. Sure, creating new cells like that can be risky, but in the case of injury or illness, a few extra immune or skin cells here or there can be beneficial. But it has to be a biotic cell, not something dead or synthesized like the cloth," Kit's gold eyes were still fixed on the threads.

"Oh! But you could still show her!" Wilde cried, remembering the tree Iris had decayed earlier. It took awhile, but Kit did finally concede to Wilde's endless demands and the three Gifted took a quick leave of the hospital to find the tree Iris killed. Kit, like Iris, reached out a hand, but it didn't take long before eir eyebrows furrowed again.

"Strange… Very stubborn, this!" ey muttered.

"What do you mean?" Iris was the first to ask, mildly concerned now. Was her Gift permanent enough to trump a healer like Kit?

"I've practiced healing plants before," Kit explained. "And it's usually a very simple and quick fix, but this feels harder. I don't know how to explain it," ey trailed off. In time, ey was able to restore the tree fully, but ey still looked interested.

"That took longer than it should've and felt harder than normal," ey decided.

"I'm sorry," Iris apologized.

"Sorry? Don't be!" Kit reassured her. "I am just wondering if the reason it's harder for me to heal what you hurt with your Gift is because you decay things on a more molecular level, which means I have more work building it all back up, or if perhaps Gifts just don't cancel each other out that quickly…" ey trailed off.

"Well it's still cool, isn't it?" Wilde demanded.

"Yes, very," Iris was the first to answer, somewhat subdued as she stared at the restored tree. One couldn't even tell she'd ever touched it, but Kit seemed perplexed enough on why it had taken longer than normal to fix it up.

From then on, the three Gifted trained almost exclusively with each other, Wilde finally to have something of a real sparring partner, even though Iris was still wary of using her Gift on a friend. It mostly came from Kit's warning that even though ey could fix most of the things Iris hurt, it may not always work flawlessly. It was Iris' greatest fear that she would accidently do something irreparably bad to a friend or ally, so for that, although she was more than happy to spar with Wilde, she still kept her Gift training to a minimum. Kit was always there to help her clean up any messes in the event that she did practice. She wished, then, that ey could've been in Camp Heath with her instead of up here, but of course she knew she couldn't just ask Kit to drop everything, transfer out of Camp Greene, then go home with her. So she made the most of her time with him, decaying vast areas of unused land for him to heal up later. Both of them got workouts from this training regimen. Mostly, though, Iris was just glad to have found other Gifted, to have found friends just like her!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Here's the pronoun list:
> 
> Agender (Anyone lacking or not feeling very tied to any or any specific gender at all): Ey/em (Kit is agender, hence the ey/em pronouns).
> 
> Polygender (Bi, tri, pan, poly, etc.): Xe/xem. (Wilde is pangender, hence the xe/xem pronouns).
> 
> Fluid: Ve/ver
> 
> Other/3rd gender: Per/per
> 
> Or, for a shorter categorization in terms of those with multiple genders/identities:
> 
> Genders that overlap (feeling like you're multiple genders at once): Xe/xem
> 
> Genders that change but don't overlap (having distinct borders between your identities): Ve/ver
> 
> Disclaimer: I understand that fluid people don't always have distinct borders between genders while polygender people might. I'm just trying to keep this straight in my own head and some pronouns might overlap just because people who have multiple identities may experience them in different ways. 
> 
> Also, yes I am cis-female, so feel free to correct me on anything I've mentioned in my AN or in my main story. But no, I'm not trying to be an SJW who thinks you ought to know and respect every single little last gender or that there are 72 genders or whatever. I mean, I DO think you ought to respect a person no matter their gender, but I'm not the girl to force it down your throat if you don't know every last identity or pronoun. 
> 
> And nor am I trying to be a troll (attack helicopter people) and I'm not trying to make a joke out of how many genders there are. Although I do think the list is getting long, I don't think that's a problem. I wanted to have all these nonbinary characters just to have them, not because I'm trying to make a political point or laugh and say, "Ain't it stupid when we don't do the old male-female thing?" because frankly, your gender is your gender. No one call tell you otherwise. 
> 
> But just don't get mad if you don't see EVERY identity in my story, or if they don't get as much development as you think they should. I'm new at this, so I need YOUR help in doing it right. Besides, this story isn't about gender, it just happens to have characters with a spectrum of genders. But again, feel free to talk to me if you think I need to make some changes. Leave a review to tell me.


	33. Lianna Spyre

Those first couple of weeks passed in similar fashion for Iris. She spent all her time either training with her Gifted comrades or off fighting Noctifers. It was a great experience for her. But she wasn't the only one having a good time. Jason had found himself a new friend too. Her name was Lianna Spyre. She was a very free-spirited woman, determined, strong and brave, yet not above acting like a complete idiot for fun. She knew how to have a good time while also being a total boss. She rarely took no for an answer, but she never insisted her way was the one or only way. She was very open-minded despite being very grounded in her beliefs. She was also about average size for a girl her age and she had blond hair of varying shades that reached just below her shoulder blades and her eyes were a startling green, though Wilde and Kit said she was not Gifted.

"Those green eyes are just some of those rare, fancy contacts," Wilde said when Iris asked about Lianna. "She's entirely normal."

But was she? Because fake contacts and hair highlights and several piercings from the bottom of her ears to the top, she was still not entirely normal. It wasn't every day someone saw a young woman leading a charge into battle only to turn around and mourn the loss of the enemy as soon as the dust settled, insisting that as bloodthirsty as they were, it was only because of their nature and not any ill intent.

"It's nature's way to be cruel!" she insisted after some of the soldiers started kicking and spitting on a particularly large Noctifer corpse they had brought down towards the end of the last battle. "It's in their DNA to try and survive as best they can. Isn't that what we're doing too?"

"Yeah, but they started it," someone argued. "They are our enemy, no matter their intent!"

"Doesn't matter," Lianna replied stubbornly. "One doesn't admonish a cat for eating a mouse, so why a Noctifer for a human?"

"But a mouse certainly fears and tries to escape a cat," the soldier reminded her. "So why shouldn't we and a Noctifer?"

"Well I'm not saying we shouldn't kill any Noctifer that tries to hurt us, but to paint them as amoral savages is not only scientifically inaccurate, but it's also highly biased," Lianna lectured. "We must paint them as they are: wild animals on the lookout for their next meal. It is only the truth."

"Yeah, well, forgive us if losing our family and friends to these guys makes us all a bit unfair, eh?" someone else asked.

"That is no reason to stoop to such a level!" Lianna's green eyes flashed. "I miss my friends just as much as you do, but I don't think defiling the dead or condemning nature will do anything to help fix it or bring them back! Or is there something I am missing here? Care to explain?!"

It was this sort of tone and attitude that made Lianna Spyre stand out amongst her comrades. She still had many friends and was far from an outcast, but she was one of the very rare few who ever sympathized with a Noctifer, let alone publically. But she had a point. As far as anyone could tell, the Noctifers were only attacking for the sake of a new home. Humans had done that very same thing in their own past, before WWIII. The few stories about the past that survived talked all the time about people moving from place to place and sometimes eliminating the natives who lived there in order to secure new resources. It would be unfair to condemn the Noctifers for doing the very same thing they used to. But of course, Lianna wasn't suggesting a treaty. Although the Noctifers had human intelligence, they certainly weren't going to use any of it in bartering. Theirs was a far more aggressive society. But even though Lianna had already proved that she was ready and willing to fight any Noctifer that came too close, she was still quite remarkable for being able to sympathize with them.

Perhaps it was this level of deep thought, mixed with such empathy, that first attracted her to Jason. She was clearly big on learning things, and that was something Jason enjoyed too, what with his amazing memory and all. In fact, Jason first met Lianna over dinner where she was debating some other old issue from a time long ago. He jumped in, correcting a few of the facts she'd memorized wrong. She, like Iris, was one of the rare few who didn't get mad at him for it, seeming to sense that he wasn't trying to correct her in an aggressive or patronizing manner, so much as he was just trying to give her the proper information. If anything, she seemed appreciative of his corrections of her. That was even rarer. The two began to entertain their own debates and the rest was history. Now, it was hard to ever see one without the other, to Iris' endless amusement.

Contrary to expectation, she had no trouble watching his ex start to date another girl. If anything, she was happy for both of them. Jason really was a great guy and Lianna was quite the character herself. Iris liked watching them together, no bitterness in her at all. But that was mostly because it meant she got to tease Jason endlessly about Lianna and there was no more awkwardness between them.

"Have you seen the light of your life today yet?" the purple-eyed soldier asked her old lover on one of the rarer moments of peace.

"No," Jason grunted. He tried to glare at Iris, but thinking about Lianna made him blush. His skin wasn't even that pale, it being an olive tone, so it wasn't fair that he would turn red so easily! Iris, however, loved it. She liked reminding him about his infatuation with her almost as much as she liked to train with her Gifted friends.

"Oh, there she is!" Iris exclaimed suddenly. She pointed behind Jason. The brunette boy whipped around. There was nobody there.

"Iris!" he whined pleadingly, turning back around to face the girl who had tricked him, but Iris was laughing too hard to hear. Jason could only rub angrily as his reddening cheeks as he tried not to remind himself how smart, witty, funny and entertaining Lianna was. Ooops, too late.

The very next Noctifer fight that occurred, Iris managed to catch a glimpse of Jason and Lianna, fighting side by side. She could see, from across the battlefield, both of them giving the other heart-eyes. And Iris thought she was a hopeless romantic! Seriously, how in love did someone have to be that, instead of focusing on killing giant alien monsters, they were focused more on just ogling their current lover. Well, at least it was not one-sided. Lianna's heart-eyes were just as large as Jason's. She beheaded a Noctifer and when Jason cheered for her, she giggled a little. It was like a really bad, overly cheesy, sickly sweet romcom flick. Except with alien monsters. And it was happening in real life. But the two were a deadly duo regardless, Lianna being quite the tactician and Jason being quite muscular after over a year in the army.

"You're in for a shocking good time, ya bugger!" Iris hear Wilde shout over the din of battle. She turned in time to see Wilde raising xyr hands. Two bolts of lightning came out of xyr palms and struck a Noctifer hard in the side. Iris then felt a much weaker spark shoot through her shoulder. It was Wilde's signal for her to use her own Gift to finish what Wilde started. Iris gave a wicked smile, raising her hand in a movement similar to Wilde's. She watched as the Noctifer began to wither away until it was only a pile of bones, its skin aging beyond repair and its muscles literally decaying right where it stood. The electricity had injured it and held it in place, Iris finished the job.

Wilde smiled in pleasure at Iris before they went running off to find their next victim. Kit was halfway across the battlefield, healing anyone in range, Tanya and Angelina were continuing their deadly duo tactic of fighting with short and long ranged weapons respectively. Iris couldn't see Barry, but she could hear him singing again as he smashed anything in sight with his hammer. Tempest was not too far away, moving as fast as Wilde's lightning and Storm was right beside her. The two of them were performing a tactic similar to Tanya and Angelina's, though Tempest and Storm were acting as speed and strength instead of long and short ranges. But it was still a very effective plan and the Noctifer they were fighting didn't last very long. Noctifer after Noctifer died, limbs and heads being severed, electrocuted or decayed until the few survivors ran.

"Victory!" Tanya and Angelina cried in unison and their whole camp echoed their cry.

By that evening, things were normal enough for a proper dinner. Usually, dinner would be split in half, half the camp going to eat while the other half patrolled in case something came up. But given that sound defeat earlier, Tanya and Barry both decided it was safe enough for everyone to eat together that night.

"Which is fine by me!" Jason said, mouth full and eyes still glued on Lianna. She laughed, unbothered by how messy he was eating. She was just as bad, besides, as much as she valued manners, she didn't mind when someone forgot them in a more relaxed setting such as a war camp dinner. This wasn't some five-star joint, this was a mess hall.

"Hey, Iris! Want me to cook that a bit more for ya?" Wilde asked, tearing Iris' focus away from Lianna and Jason.

"What do you mean?" Iris asked, seeing Wilde point to the steak on her plate. Iris suddenly felt the hairs on her arm and neck stand up. "Oh, no, that won't be necessary at all!" Iris quickly got the picture.

"Oh, come on, please! I accidently already charred mine!" Wilde pointed to xyr plate. The steak was entirely black.

"But I don't want that to happen to my food!" Iris whined, shielding her plate protectively. Wilde grinned but raised xyr arms in surrender.

All around, similar lighthearted banter was going on. Only one was totally silent. And that one was a person Iris had nearly forgotten over these past couple of weeks just because of how much time she'd spent with Kit and Wilde. But still, every single night, no matter how busy things ended up, Iris was never able to entirely forget. After all, Storm had been her mentor. How could Iris ever forget someone like that? Especially when she looked so down, especially after such a glorious victory! So eventually, like every night, Iris slowly sidled out of all the conversations she was a part of to go sit by Storm. The woman was at the very end of the Camp Heath table, eyes down and food uneaten. Iris was getting worried. She'd been acting this way for two weeks now. There was no way it was just simple homesickness. Iris could feel it that there was something far worse going on and whenever Iris looked into Storm's pale blue eyes, it was like looking into a mirror to the past. Storm's eyes held the same guilt and grief Iris' had when Clover was taken away from her.

"Good evening, Storm," Iris tried politely, joining the woman at her side. Storm only grunted a weak hello in reply. "How are you doing?" Iris, once again, tried to make some talk with Storm, not that it ever ended well. Storm only shrugged a little, but Iris was not quick to surrender. She continued to prod gently, then even after Storm made it clear that she was in no mood to talk, Iris just began to chat about her own day, recalling all of her glorious kills and near-death-experiences in the battlefield, exaggerating them for entertainment's sake. Storm managed a smile a few times, but not nearly enough for Iris' liking.

Seriously, what happened to the old, witty Storm who would talk and tease her for hours on end? Who was this empty-eyed shell that had replaced her? Would the old Storm come back once they went home, or had coming here opened a scar that even Kit's Gift wouldn't be able to heal? Iris would never know, it seemed, because Storm never said a word. Iris finally felt quite, content to just sit beside her old mentor and wonder… They were side by side, yet worlds apart and it was scaring Iris, but she could see no way to make this better. It was a pit Storm had dug for herself and only she could climb back out, but she didn't appear interested in doing that.

Come bedtime, however, Iris finally face the matter more directly. Tempest had wanted to help too, but she finally decided that it would be best if Iris pursued the topic alone. As close as Tempest was to Storm, Tempest new full well that Iris would be the only one Storm might open up to. It was something she could tell from the way Storm would spend all her time watching Iris whenever Iris wasn't aware. It was something she knew intrinsically. This was something Iris would have to do alone if either of them wanted any answers.

"You ok?" the purple-eyed girl asked as she walked to her mentor's bedside.

"Yeah," Storm answered, voice still as unreadable as ever.

"Come on Storm, we both know that I know you better than this," Iris chided gently. "You've been like this for the last two weeks!"

"I'm fine," Storm answered back. "Besides, if you really cared, you'd stop asking," Iris was stung by this reply, but she shook her head.

"No. If I really cared, I would keep asking to show that I notice that something is wrong. I'm not asking you to spill your heart to me, but I am asking just to be aware of what you're feeling right now and if I can help," Iris continued. "I understand that you'd want your privacy, but what I'm asking isn't that intrusive. I just want to know how you're feeling. I'm sorry if I do come across as pushy, but I won't stop checking up on you. I want to make sure you're safe and that you know you have a friend in me that you can always come talk to."

Storm cringed, slightly from embarrassment and slightly from fear. She just couldn't bring herself to share. Not yet, at least. So she shook her head. As inviting as Iris was being, this was something Storm hadn't told anyone, not even Gale or Tempest.

"I'm fine," she repeated. "Really," Iris exhaled slowly, but she knew better than to keep pressing Storm. Instead, she agreed with Storm's words, but then curled up beside the taller, older soldier. It wouldn't be polite for her to demand answers, no matter how badly she wanted to. But even if she couldn't give Storm a conversation, she could still give her comfort. The girl was bold in her insistence that they sleep side by side. It was how Clover would always comfort and cheer Iris up, just holding her even long after she had fallen asleep. Now, Iris was using that same tactic with Storm. To her surprise, Storm allowed it and did not try to throw her out of the bed like she'd feared. That was good.

"You cheeky little mouse," Storm whispered as she felt Iris crawl in bed with her. Iris heard a smile in Storm's voice and chuckled softly.

"I learned from the best," she insisted, then she fell asleep with Storm in her arms. Storm laughed at Iris' little joke, but the laughter faded quickly. Storm wrapped a tentative arm around Iris before losing herself to her swirling thoughts again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ain't gonna lie that this was a bit of a filler/transition chapter. But still, hope you like it. BTW, as of today (7/29/18), I'm moving off to college, IU Bloomington. Wish me luck! Next chapter will be posted from their campus, from my dorm. 
> 
> Macca, I know you probably won't see this since you stopped reading, but I honestly appreciate your feedback. I can see what you mean about the story being confusing with all the gender neutral pronouns (even I struggled with keeping them straight and I'm the one who freaking wrote the story). 
> 
> I'd definitely be interested to hear what others have to say about the gender neutral pronouns because I do see now how confusing they can be, and if you want, I can just keep it at the ey/em and xe/xem or I can revert back to ONLY ey/em and I won't try to add anymore in because I don't want to scare anyone off because the story became hard to understand. 
> 
> And I wasn't necessarily trying to be one of those politically correct SJW, but like I said, I wanted to have characters that weren't just boy/girl, and to me, the only way to display that was to use different pronouns. That's why I need at least one neutral pronoun, because I know some people already use they/them, so our language already has something of a gender neutral for those who don't identify with one of the binaries. (I use ey/em instead of they/them for my own personal clarification). I mean, I know I can just use names instead of pronouns, but that becomes very clunky very fast, so I'd like to keep at least one gender neutral pronoun, if you will allow. 
> 
> (On a somewhat in-story note, since Denbar is supposed to be very queer-friendly, to me, it's not much of a stretch to think that they would have an array of pronouns instead of just two or three. They are a different culture than us, so they're supposed to be a bit different and maybe even hard to understand at times. But I digress.)
> 
> So if any reader has any suggestion on what I can do to help things stay clean and clear, PLEASE TELL ME. I really appreciate the honest comments like this. So thanks, Macca, and I'm sorry you won't be hanging around.


	34. Hiding Away

But Iris wasn't perceptive enough, so time continued to pass in this way, Storm struggling with her feelings for Camp Greene, Iris and the two combined while Iris and all the others remained painfully oblivious. It was clear that Iris and Tempest might've suspected that something was wrong and that it was somehow tied to a past mission here, but even they didn't have the full understanding of it. And if they didn't, no one did, and nobody, no matter who they were, dared to confront Storm about it. Both camps held the woman in such high regard that it would've seemed impolite, if not outright insane, to try and talk to such a powerful and dangerous woman about something they had no right to know.

But at the same time, as paradoxical and contradictory as it was, Storm couldn't help but wish very deeply that someone would talk to her, that someone would try and reach out to her and at least have the courage and heart to make an attempt to ask her what was wrong… But then, every time she tried to imagine someone coming up to her and asking, she would recoil. As much as she longed for someone to try and talk her out of her misery, Storm knew she'd built up her walls too high up for anyone to bring them down, including herself.

It was a fickle part of love, wanting for someone to pursue, only to grow mad when they did and then regretful when they stopped. It was a classic problem, something Storm typically only ever saw in lovestruck teenagers who couldn't decide whether or not they wanted their significant other to give chase or to leave them alone, but Denbar knew she didn't want to be one of those. So she acknowledged her refusal to ask for help head on. She admitted to herself that as much as she wanted to get help, she wasn't going to, but she wasn't going to complain about it either. All of her pain, by now, was self-inflicted, caused by her own chosen inaction. She had none to blame but herself, so she would not complain when no one ever confronted her about her problems. It was her choice to remain silent, she would have to pay the price. The world could not read minds, so it was her own fault for not stepping forward and speaking out. She couldn't complain that no one was trying with her, she just wasn't being very responsive. She was too secretive for her own good. But speaking of secrets, she wondered if her old hideout still existed…

"Has anyone seen Storm?" Tempest asked over breakfast. She, just like every other day, had been dining at Tanya's side, but was now patrolling the dining hall in attempt to find the missing blond.

"No, I can't say I have," Iris answered with a frown as Tempest walked over to their table. The woman had not been in bed with her when she woke up, so she assumed that maybe she'd gone running or patrolling. Storm might've liked her sleep, but there were days when she woke before the sun and was unable to fall back asleep and would, thusly, get a head-start on the day.

"But you were sleeping with her! How could you not have known?" Tempest asked, verbalizing Iris' very thoughts.

"You were what?!" Lianna and Jason both choked on their drinks. Nearby, Wilde broke down with laughter.

"Not like that, you perverts," Iris rolled her purple eyes at them all.

"Didn't know you had the hots for teacher!" Jason crowed.

"I don't," Iris grunted. "She's not my teacher anymore. She hasn't been for almost six months!"

"That changes nothing," Jason scoffed. Iris growled at him before an idea came to her and she gave him a wicked grin.

"I have not slept with anyone, but can the same be said for you, Jason? Lianna?" the tiny brunette's purple eyes shifted back and forth between the two lovestruck soldiers. She was sadistically pleased by Jason's reddening complexion and Wilde laughed even louder now.

But after Iris finished teasing Jason, she grew serious once more as she turned to speak with Tempest again.

"I woke up, and she was gone, but I figured that she might've been on morning patrol or had come to breakfast early, or something," she explained.

"Do you think we should go and look for her? Make sure she's ok?" Wilde asked, laughter subsiding as the more serious conversation continued. Xe didn't need xyr Gift to know something was wrong with the woman, but since xe didn't know Storm as well as the Camp Heath soldiers did, xe had no idea what to make of Storm's erratic ways. Xe could just tell that this level of asocial behavior wasn't normal, even for her.

"No," Tempest chuckled despite herself. "I'm sure that Storm is well able to handle herself out here. I was just wondering if any of you knew. I know that Tanya and Angelina wanted to talk to her and I about possibly going home. They told me last night that they think they should be able to handle themselves alone again and that we may be able to go back to Camp Heath soon."

"Really?" Iris, Wilde, Lianna and Jason all asked, each a little less excited than the last. Iris had no issue with heading home just because she hoped that maybe Camp Heath would return Storm's more calm demeanor, but she had to admit that she would miss Kit and Wilde and Wilde felt the same way, far more reluctant to let go of xyr new, like-minded friend. Sure, Kit was a wonderful person, but ey just wasn't as fun as Iris. Jason, however, sounded like he would've much rather stayed here. Given the look he cast at Lianna, it wasn't hard to guess why. Lianna was in the same boat, looking back at him with sad green eyes.

"Really," Tempest confirmed. "We'll still be around today, and maybe tomorrow, but Angelina and Tanya just wanted to speak with us."

"But you've got to find Storm, first," Lianna pointed out, sounding eerily hopeful that the other blond might've gotten lost or something. It was nothing personal, she just didn't want Jason to go.

"We do," Tempest replied with a sigh. "And given what kind of person she is, that may be difficult."

"You don't think she's been kidnapped again, do you?" Jason suggested with a frown.

"I don't think so, but I can't be sure," Tempest admitted reluctantly. Iris, however, was more confident in her reply.

"I don't think so," she promised. "I don't feel queasy the way I did the first time. It's hard to explain, but I feel like she's not in any danger."

"But that may be because you're more used to it, you know?" Jason reminded.

"Perhaps," Iris agreed. "But somehow, I feel like whatever is eating her isn't just a kidnapper this time. She's actively hiding away from us…"

"Either way," Tempest said. "I do think I'd better go look for her. Oh, I have no doubt that she's fine, but we need to talk…" the brunette left the table after that, heading for the dining hall doors.

"Do you think we should go too?" Wilde asked Iris as soon as Tempest was gone.

"I'd like to," she said. "But we'd better get permission first."

"Ok," Wilde agreed. Then, after the two of them finished their own meal a few minutes after Tempest, they approached the Camp Greene leaders.

"Hello, Mrs. Winter and Mrs. Banks," Wilde began boldly.

"Hello," they replied with matching smiles of amusement and exasperation. As loud and fierce as they could be, Wilde was worse. Xe was small but mighty and xe was just as aggressive and showy as the lightning xe could control. Maybe Tanya and Angelina didn't know about the lightning, but they were very used to Wilde's antics and they could already sense that another one was coming…

"We were looking for Storm and it sounds like she might've gone off on patrol or something, so we were wondering if maybe we could go looking for her?" xe asked. Tanya and Angelina paused, both a little surprised at such a seemingly quiet request. But how could they refuse such an offer? Though the odds were high that this was just an alibi and, doubtless, something crazy would happen in the near future. With Wilde, one could never truly know.

"Of course," Tanya was the one who answered. "Things had been getting quieter recently, so I think we can spare you two for a little while."

"Thank you!" Iris and Wilde replied in unison.

"You're very welcome," Tanya nodded. The girls turned to go but, before they turned around completely, Angelina shrieked in surprise.

"Why are your eyes purple?!"

"I forgot that not everyone here had seen them yet," Iris scowled as she and Wilde exited the dining hall. Wilde laughed in reply.

"You can't blame them," xe said. "No one else's eyes are quite so strange as yours!"

"You wanna bet?" Iris replied with a playful growl, only half-joking. It just felt ironic that the Camp Greene leaders had to call her out about her eye color despite them housing two Gifted of their own, but of course they didn't know that. How could they when the Gifted were all sworn to silence? Besides, even though Camp Greene did have two Gifted of their own, their eyes weren't quite as glaringly different as Iris'. Both of their eyes were a shade of yellow and even though yellow was not exactly a normal eye color, Iris supposed that it looked less obvious than purple.

Speaking of which, Iris' own Gift was developing much faster with the help of Wilde and Kit and Iris was now able to rot away multiple trees all at once in relatively short order without touching them. The only reason she had yet to be caught doing this was because Kit's own Gift was improving. Old as ey was, eir Gift still had the potential to grow and practicing healing what Iris had decayed was a huge help just because Iris' Gift was exceedingly hard to overcome. Hypothetically, nothing should be able to undo what she did, but Kit had enough experience on eir hands to break that theory and, mostly, restore whatever Iris practiced destroying.

Wilde became more of a sparring partner, xyr control of lightning being another fighting-type Gift. It was also part of the reason Kit was as strong as ey was. Even though Wilde was fairly young, xe had been at Camp Greene for quite awhile had had helped Kit immensely kind of in the same way Iris was. The trio made a great team and support system, able to offer each other what no older soldier could. Although they may not have known each other for long, the bond between them all was already very strong because they were all connected by their Gifts.

Thinking about them made Iris smile, but when her thoughts returned to Storm, her smile faded away. If only her own bond with Storm was doing a bit better. It seemed that, of late, Storm had started to grow distant from her again and Iris had no idea why. It scared her on multiple levels, the first being simple concern for Storm's wellbeing. Clearly, she was hiding something away, and Iris wanted desperately to know why, but the last thing she wanted to do was push Storm further away. It was the one reason why Iris had yet to ever really demand answers from Storm.

Then, on a deeper and maybe more unreasonable level, Iris was fearing that Storm was growing tired of her as a friend. Iris always knew that social skills were not something Storm possessed in a great amount. It was a deep fear of Iris that Storm secretly hated her and only put up with her out of a feeling of duty and not true friendship. There were a lot of points to disprove this theory, but Iris still did worry sometimes that Storm didn't really like her all that much. This lasting silence between the blond and her was slowly starting to confirm that fear and Iris desperately wanted to know that it wasn't true. She wanted to know that Storm really did care and that this awkward silence between them was nothing she had done. It was her hope that she would be able to find Storm before Tempest did and maybe get some alone time with her to sort out what went wrong and why Storm was acting so… broody. For one who claimed to hate angsty teenagers who sat around their rooms and brooded, Storm was doing quite a lot of that herself. If only Iris knew what the problem was! Then she might be able to help!

It took awhile, but Iris did succeed in her goal of finding Storm before Tempest did. Well, technically, Wilde was the one who found her.

"There!" the raven-haired Gifted pointed. Iris turned to see Storm walking away from the Westside Cliffs, those being a series of small mountains bordering the very far west side of camp. Had Storm been on the cliffs the whole time? Why? Patrols that far away were uncommon, and Storm looked like she was alone. So what had she been doing over there?

"Storm!" Iris called out to the blond after that and went running over, Wilde following close behind.

"Iris?" Storm looked up from her thoughts to see Iris running at her. Her face instantly contorted into concern. "What's wrong?"

"Where have you been?" Iris answered Storm's question with a question.

"We've been looking for you all morning," Wilde agreed breathlessly.

"What?" Storm repeated in confusion, eyes darting back and forth between the two tiny soldiers. Storm tried not to stare too long at Iris, mentally reminding herself of what Gale and Tempest had accused her of doing in the past.

"We've been looking for you all morning," Wilde repeated, then xe explained all about their search for Storm, starting from when Tempest asked where she was back at breakfast.

"Ah, I was just… busy…" Storm replied awkwardly, suddenly unable to meet Iris' eyes at all. She made up for it by looking directly into Wilde's yellow orbs. "I was on something of a patrol, just checking out the cliffs to make sure they weren't trying an aerial attack," she elaborated. Wilde seemed to take the answer easily enough, but already Iris could sense that Storm was lying. She even narrowed her purple eyes in suspicion, but she said nothing. Instead, she mirrored Wilde's movements and let it go, but this was something she knew for a fact that she would bring up later. Storm was lying. Even someone without advanced eyesight should've been able to see it.

"Let's just get back," Iris suggested. Wilde nodded and took the lead while Storm tried to follow last, but Iris slowed down to match her pace. Storm felt uncomfortable, feeling Iris' purple eyes boring so deeply into her, but she was able to keep a relatively calm face. As nervous as she felt right now, she'd had a decade of practice being unreadable, unknowable and unflappable. That wasn't just going to go out the window today. Instead, her poker face was just as solemn and unyielding as ever. The only difference was that it was masking quite the internal storm today instead of her more normal disdain. But she was good at hiding away no matter what it was she was even hiding and, as far as she knew, Iris was able to glean nothing from her emotionless visage.

"There you are!" Tempest was the first to see Iris and Wilde return with Storm. "We've been looking for you!"

"So I've heard," Storm replied with a dry smirk.

"Come on, then, Tanya and Angelina want to speak with us," the brunette took Storm's arm gently and led her away from Iris and Wilde. It took a lot of willpower for the blond not to turn around to see what Iris might've been thinking at the time. Had she turned around, though, she would seen an equally expressionless face.

"Well, at least she wasn't kidnapped!" Wilde joked weakly the moment Storm and Tempest had gone.

"Yeah, but I still would like to know just where she got off to," Iris replied darkly, expressionless face finally showing some emotion.

"What do you mean? She was over on the cliffs," Wilde said.

"So she claimed," Iris shook her head.

"You think she was lying?" Wilde asked in surprise. Storm just didn't seem like the lying type. Perhaps she was secretive, but she did not lie. Storm was too honorable to lie. Any deceit gained from Storm came from her silence, not her dishonesty. Besides, Wilde never thought she would see the day when Iris actively doubted her mentor. Wilde had seen how the two interacted and this sudden distrust from Iris' side seemed uncharacteristic. "Not lying," Iris corrected. "Just not telling the whole truth."

"What do you mean?" asked Wilde again, still baffled by Iris' lack of faith in Storm, but to Iris, it all made perfect sense.

"Just think about it," Iris implored. "Storm claims that she's been on the cliffs on patrol, but no one ever goes to the Westside Cliffs alone!"

"Well, maybe not on official patrols, but this one was self-assigned," Wilde reminded.

"Perhaps," Iris allowed. "But why? What did she think she could find up there? Because if the answer to that is Noctifers, I have to remind you that there is no way even she would be dumb enough to try and fight a Noctifer alone while on the Westside Cliffs. She's brave, but she's not stupid. And I can't see Storm wasting time on a mission if she thought there was no threat at all."

"So you think she went to the Westside Cliffs for other purposes?" Wilde sounded doubtful. What else was up there for Storm to do?

"Yes," Iris replied. Perhaps Wilde was right about the cliffs being nothing but flat gray rock for miles, but Storm had been acting so strange and secretive of late that the thought of her just heading up the cliffs didn't seem so out of character.

Wilde frowned a little, still baffled by all the secrets. It was getting both confusing and annoying, to be honest, but then before Wilde could try and ask another question, Iris interrupted herself.

"Actually, you know what? Never mind me," Iris forced a smile as she said this. "I think I'm overanalyzing."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Wilde replied calmly, but xyr frown deepened. Xe may not have been the sharpest sword in the sheath, but even xe could see that Iris was just trying to change the topic. That was fine with xem, but xe juwst wished that Iris would use the, "Never mind!" card. Not only was that a deceit in and of itself, but it implied that she thought that Wilde wouldn't be smart enough to catch onto it that Iris clearly hadn't let go of her suspicions despite claiming otherwise. This really was getting quite frustrating!

But Wilde exhaled slowly and let the issue drop. Even though the mystery was starting to get to xyr head too, xe refused to let it control xem, choosing instead to let it go. Xe didn't want anymore drama. It's not like xe would've gotten any answers anyway. Was secrecy another trait Camp Heath soldiers admired? It seemed that way, given Iris and Storm's behaviors. Why couldn't they be more like Camp Greene and just be up front about everything and say what they had to say?

The two friends went back to training after that, trying to make their last day together really count, but it was very clear that Iris' mind was very far away from Wilde. Instead, it was stuck on Storm. Like always. If Wilde didn't know any better, xe would've said that Iris was in love with her! Why else would she spend so much time analyzing everything she did? Iris was constantly muttering to herself and Wilde, being a fellow Gifted, could hear it all. She could hear Iris asking herself what Storm was really up to, where she had really been hiding away, why she suddenly seemed so much happier now that they were going home soon, and whether or not tonight would be a good night to sneak out and see what she could uncover. It was very tedious to listen to all day.

But later that night, while Wilde and everyone else was asleep, Iris was busy still thinking about Storm. Maybe Wilde was tired of musing about Storm, but Iris wasn't. Along with still being distrustful of Storm's sudden change in behavior, she still could not forget how Storm had looked when coming back from the Westside Cliffs and how Storm refused to meet her eyes. Now, with this being their very last night in Camp Greene, Iris knew that it was now or never. If she wanted to know what Storm was hiding, she had to go to the cliffs at once, or risk never knowing. So, with the moon high and the sky black, Iris raced quickly and quietly across Camp Greene, heading west towards the cliffs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So, here's my first chapter posted from IU Bloomington. I'm officially in college! Anyway, sorry if this chapter seemed like nothing more than a long transition, but I promise you the next one will be more exciting. More will happen and Iris will finally learn exactly what happened to Storm here about 11 years ago.


	35. The Big Reveal

Wilde lay idly on xyr side, just thinking. Xe could physically feel tension, secrets and mystery swirling in the air around xem. It seemed like everywhere xe looked, a secret was waiting just out of reach. First and foremost was Storm's inexplicably quiet temper, next was Iris' fascination with it, then was everyone else's contrasting indifference, and lastly, there was whatever it was that Iris was planning on doing to try and get to the bottom of all of it. It was really weird. Wilde wanted to ask Iris, but xe knew full well that Iris wouldn't tell. But even though xe knew that, the suspense was high enough that xe finally decided xe would at least give it a try and just ask. Even if xe didn't get an answer, at least xe could say that xe had tried. Or at least, xe could call Iris out on being a hypocrite. She claimed that secrecy, especially from Storm, bothered her, yet here she was, being just as mysterious.

"Hey, Iris? Psst! Iris! Are you awake?" xe asked at last, carefully rolling out of bed to face the place where Iris slept. What met xyr yellow eyes was an empty bed. Xyr hopeful looked turned into one of disbelief. "You must be joking!" xe whispered before slapping xyr forehead in amusement and disbelief alike. Now where had Iris gone?! And how had no one noticed?! That crazy little idiot! Why was it so easy for her to sneak out and get in trouble and wind up in the worst of situations in the last places she should be? Surely the girl was cursed! The Gifted of lightning finally got desperate enough to turn to the one other person who might've had a clue what was going on. Storm.

"Come on, you. Get up!" Wilde grunted, shaking Storm roughly.

"Hey! What in Denbar are you doing?!" Storm snarled at the Gifted, sitting up abruptly. Normally, such a response would've terrified everyone but, tonight, Wilde was hyped up enough about the mystery to not mind. Besides, if Storm tried anything, Wilde could just stun her into submission.

"You'd better tell Iris whatever it is you've been hiding from her and make it quick!" xe demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Storm shot back, much bolder now that the mission here was over. After nearly the full month that Captain had described, Storm was finally going home and things were in the clear!

"You've been hiding something from her!" Wilde accused. "I know it! We all do! And I suggest you tell her now!"

"You have a lot of nerve, coming here and waking me up in the middle of the night and demanding answers of me," Storm began sharply. "I have half a mind to report you to your superiors!"

"I dare you," Wilde growled.

"Don't think I won't, Ms. Anita Wilde of Camp Greene, fighting soldier of five years, nearly top of the class and incredibly capable of combat!" Storm reeled off Wilde's impressive resume to show that, contrary to what xe might've thought, Storm knew exactly who xe was. Almost.

"Wilde," Wilde corrected. For a moment, xyr confusion and excitement over the mystery turned into anger at Storm's mislabeling. Storm seemed to catch this and had the grace to look apologetic. As mad as she was and as much as she meant to hurt Wilde, she hadn't meant to do that.

"Wilde," Storm repeated, but then her eyes and voice hardened again. "I have no idea what you're talking about and I suggest you go back to bed!"

"Not until you've gone and found Iris and told her whatever it is you're hiding!" Wilde replied, uncharacteristically bold.

"Found her?" Storm demanded, eyes narrowing at once.

"Yeah," Wilde cocked xyr head to Iris' empty bed, short black hair flipping slightly with the gesture.

Storm's face paled.

"Where is she?" the woman demanded at once, voice soft, but even deadlier than before.

"You have to promise to tell her whatever it is you're hiding from her before she does something stupid and gets hurt!" Wilde replied, finally taking a step back in fear. Even xe had xyr limits and Storm looked five seconds away from killing something, or someone.

"Whatever!" Storm growled. "Just tell me where she went!"

"The Westside Cliffs," Wilde replied, but xe hadn't even said more than the first two words before Storm was out of the cabin, sprinting faster than Wilde had ever seen anyone run before, except for maybe a Gifted. Man, things were starting to heat up! Wilde almost considered following after, but then xe decided that it would probably be best just to wait until Iris came back. Then she could explain. Wilde would force her to if necessary.

Storm had never run so fast in her life, sprinting across the darkened camp so quickly that she could barely feel her bare feet touch the ground. Everything passed by in a blur as her heartbeat and breathing naturally fell into rhythm as she ran west. Her mind was a tornado of chaos. She was terrified, furious, guilty and disbelieving all at once. Even though Wilde's words had been nonspecific, Storm already knew where on the Westside Cliffs Iris was headed and the thought terrified her like nothing else. She was furious by it, and disbelieving that her luck could've run out on the very last night of being here. Seriously! They had less than 12 hours before they'd be shoving off for Camp Heath and now, after so much care and anxiety, Storm's well-kept secret was becoming unraveled. After all her best efforts, she had celebrated too early and now Iris had slipped through her fingers and was headed to the last place in Denbar that Storm wanted her to go. Heck, even the Noctifer Nest would've been better!

Iris, meanwhile, was grappling with a very profound despair. She was currently sitting inside a tiny cave at the base of the Westside Cliffs. That cave had been hidden behind a relatively large stone, but being who she was, Iris was able to move it out of her way easily, despite being alone. Once inside that hidden little cave, an entire world opened up to her. There were a couple of chairs, nightstands and boxes in that cave. All of them were old and rotting, but it was still clear what they used to be. Iris, squinting through the darkness, had managed to find one box that looked like it had been opened recently, the outline of a hand on the lid. Knowing at once who must've come here, she opened the box as well and looked inside. There was just a bunch of rotting paraphernalia, old books, toys, clothes and weapons, both real and fake. But again, there was one item inside the box that looked as though it had been touched quite recently, and that was a little brown book in the very corner of the box. Iris didn't hesitate to pick up and read it, finally daring to turn on the flashlight she brought with her.

About an hour later, it having been rather difficult to make out some of the word because of how old the book was, Iris had read the whole story, and it did not have a happy ending. It was all about a girl named Lydia Silvers, who had been around Iris' age at the time of writing the journal. From beginning to end, the story was predominantly a tragedy, and the last page was just so full of fear and misery that Iris could only put the book down and stare at the cave walls in total silence, unmoving and unthinking as she just tried to absorb everything she'd just read.

Lydia had been raised by cruel parents, neither of them caring very much for her and only providing the bare minimum to keep her alive. In return, they expected the world from her. Despite selling her short, they expected perfection from her in exchange. They were the parents who believed food, water, a roof and a few clothes were enough to build an intelligent, honest, compassionate and productive member of society. Of course, they were badly mistaken, and Lydia grew up quite miserable, bitter and rebellious. Her only joy came from fighting, and she picked fights quite often. They were a way for her to vent, and they were the only thing she was good at. Of course, fighting outside of necessity was frowned upon in Denbar, so Lydia was also branded as a troubled child, something that angered her apathetic parents that much more.

17 years of this imbalanced, unfair and mutually destructive relationship came and went before Lydia finally ran away from home, straight to the army. The Noctifer war had been going on for about two years at that point and the country was so eager for new recruits that Lydia was able to weasel out a rank for herself, despite being underaged and without any family documentation or paperwork. So Lydia was sent up north and, very quickly, became one of the strongest, bravest and most renowned soldiers in the camp, despite only being 17. Sadly, just a few months before Lydia would've celebrated her first whole year in the army, something happened.

She was asked to lead a patrol, her first patrol alone, to the Westside Cliffs to get a better vantage point of any incoming Noctifers. It was meant to be a simple mission, her going with a relatively large group to a relatively isolated spot, but that was when it all went wrong. Against all expectations, a Noctifer hoard had managed to scale the entire cliff undetected and, while Lydia was distracted, giving orders to the others on how to do this patrol, that hoard made its move. What ensued was a fierce battle between soldier and alien and it was incredibly intense because, even though there was only a few Noctifers, the patrol had not expected any and were horribly under-armed. They had basic armor and weapons, but it was not enough. Lydia panicked at once, forcing one of the older soldiers to take over, and, while she screamed in hysterics, he did his best to keep a calm head and cool eye. But it still was not enough.

At last, the Noctifers even intentionally led the patrol to a weaker part of the Westside Cliffs and tried to knock enough stones loose to send them all down to their deaths. It did work to an extent, but a lucky few managed to survive the fall and land inside a crack in the cliffs instead of the ground 100 feet below. The survivors made something of a rope from their uniforms and tossed it up to the top of the cliff where Lydia stood. She had been agile enough to leap away when the Noctifers caused the little landslide. The intent was to use that rope to climb back out of the cliff and onto the surface. Lydia's only job was to hold the rope as her comrades crawled back out. It began well enough, but when a Noctifer noticed Lydia trying to help her comrades up, it homed in on her and, in her panic, Lydia dropped the rope back down into the crevasse and ran.

Along the way, she passed a few other soldiers who were locked in combat with the other Noctifers. They all cried out to her as she ran by, begging for her to stop and help them out, but she ignored them all in her own fear. She left her comrades behind as she tried to get away. So along with leaving half of her troop stuck deep inside a cliff, she was leaving the others to be killed. In haste to save herself, Lydia left her friends to die.

In the end, only a few soldiers survived that surprise cliff attack. Lydia was one of them, the most unscathed of all because she had run away earlier to save her own skin. Everyone else, though, was dead. Those inside the cliff had been attacked by a Noctifer able to squeeze in after them and the others were either eaten alive or shoved off the 100-foot cliff. Either way, only three survived, the others all slaughtered. The shame and grief would never leave Lydia, and she spent the next couple months with the ghosts of those soldiers haunting her. The closest she had to a consolation was that there were those two other survivors and the Noctifers had all been killed eventually, but everyone else was dead.

The agony and guilt she felt for abandoning her comrades was evident in her next few journal entries because, unlike the past happier ones about first coming to Camp Greene, the vocabulary was far crueler and darker and the handwriting was a lot sloppier. Self-loathing and confessions poured out of the pages Iris read and guilt and grief stifled the air. There were no more happy stories or accounts, only suffering. The very last entry was dated almost 11 years ago. It was a suicide note.

Iris closed the journal, returning it to its box. It was about then that she went into that comatose state, staring emptily at the old cave walls as she tried to comprehend such a sad, sorry story. So that was it. That was the big reveal. All of this drama from Storm had boiled down to this one dead girl, this one little event. It was all over a girl whose guilt over a past mistake killed her. That was the big reveal.

Iris quickly figured that Lydia must've been some close friend of Storm's, if not maybe even a lover. It would explain why she had been so miserable while here at Camp Greene. It would also explain why Storm had been here in this cave at all and why she might've wanted to keep this all hidden. It wasn't exactly a happy tale. Besides, Iris knew Storm well enough to know that Storm would be someone who would suffer survivor's guilt. If the numbers were correct, Lydia's patrol had been comprised of 11 people and only three survived, including Lydia. Of course Storm would've been traumatized by this.

And for her lover/friend to commit suicide? Even worse. But then a horrific thought occurred to Iris. If this cave was supposed to be Lydia's secret hideout and Storm knew where it was, had she been the one to find Lydia's cold and lifeless body here, alone, rotting in the dark like a corpse in a tomb? The thought alone made Iris feel sick with grief and horror. Suddenly, Storm's moody and protective behavior made perfect sense to Iris and she felt awful for having intruded upon such a private and personal memory.

At last, however, the tears subsided and, as cruel as it was of her, Iris continued to look around the tiny cave. There wasn't much else to see, but she decided just to peek into the other boxes and drawers. It was rude of her, but her curiosity had grown even stronger as she desired to know what relationship Storm had shared with Lydia. Although Lydia never mentioned Storm within her journal, given Storm's immense grief over Lydia's death, Iris was torn as to whether or not the two might've been lovers. Or maybe it was one-sided. But either way, the longer Iris poked around the cave, looking for more evidence, the more and more jealous she got. Wait. Jealous?

Iris was surprised by her own thoughts, but the longer she continued to muse about Storm and Lydia, the more she began to realize that she actually was a little jealous. Maybe not in a romantic sense, maybe, but definitely in a strange and sort of possessive way. Iris supposed that she was so used to being Storm's closest friend that the idea of Storm having someone else out there that she loved more almost made her angry, irrational as that was. But it really did rub her the wrong way to imagine Storm being more open with someone else, especially a dead someone else, than she was with Iris, despite Iris having been such a good and constant friend and, well, being not dead.

But what were these thoughts?! She was being ridiculous, silly! Who was jealous of a dead girl? And once again, since Lydia made no direct mention of Storm, it could be assumed that it really was one-sided, and if that were the case, what did Iris have to be jealous of? And if they had been close, it wasn't fair to rob Storm of a very dear friend, of someone who might've been her Clover Eves, just because she felt entitled. How selfish was that? Besides, hadn't Storm stayed by Iris' side when Iris lost Clover? Iris owed it to Storm to do likewise with Lydia. Maybe the two had more in common than Iris had realized. Maybe Storm was only ever Iris with a different end result following the death of their whole worlds.

Already, Iris began to think, if she had taken Clover's death so hard she ended up crying for a month straight, how much worse was losing Lydia for Storm? For one, Lydia had committed suicide, for another, Storm might've been in love with her despite no evidence stating that it was reciprocated. Then, for a third, the death had happened after a traumatic enough event already. It would've been the equivalent of Iris killing herself after Clover died, the way Peter did. And that had been hard enough even though Iris hadn't been as close to him as Clover. Iris began to wonder if Storm hadn't left this camp after Lydia did, unable to live in a place where her best friend/lover would haunt her every night. No wonder Storm could never sleep here! Iris had felt the same way when Clover died. Would she turn out just like Storm in 11 years? But she had never felt the urge to leave Camp Heath the way Storm had left Camp Greene.

So Iris chastised herself for envying the love Lydia had received from Storm, though she continued to skim through the boxes just to see if maybe there was some clue as to how close they might've been. Lydia had certainly mentioned her mentor many times over, but she never wrote about him with anything other than platonic fondness, outright stating in one entry that, contrary to her camp's popular belief, she had no intention upon pursuing him romantically.

"And that's for two very important reasons!" her journal had said. "One: He's gay. Two: So am I." Iris had to admit that she had laughed at that part. Lydia did have a sour and sassy sense of humor, so it was no surprise that Storm might've fallen for it, and her.

But then Iris found something in the second of two nightstands. It was a small picture of Lydia herself, standing beside her mentor on what appeared to be her soldier ceremony day (unlike Camp Heath, Camp Greene chose to have their soldier ceremonies during the day instead of the evening/night). The two were side by side in front of the soldier cabin, smirking. Their eyes clearly said: "She's a soldier now, ain't that cool?!" and it was actually a really nice photo, despite being beaten up with age. It might've been sealed in a drawer in a cave, but nature could, and did, creep through the cracks and crevices of the cave and the picture was hard to see clearly.

Iris continued to bring her flashlight closer to that one and only picture of this mysterious Lydia girl until the flashlight was practically touching the old photo. Iris was squinting hard. She could see a tall, pale person with what appeared to be longish white hair, but the face was hard to make out… Iris squinted harder still. The flashlight touched the photo. Both the flashlight and the photo clattered to the floor. The girl holding them had gone into total shutdown, even stronger than the one she went into after finishing up the journal.

As sure as Iris' eyes were purple, the girl in the picture, Lydia, was Storm. After all of her theories, Lydia had been Storm the whole time. They were one in the same. All of Iris' thoughts had just been thrown out of the window (or cave, rather) and all she could do was stand there and stare, drawing an even bigger blank than before. So, Lydia was Storm. And Storm was Lydia. And Lydia was Storm. And Storm… The big reveal.

It all made sense now! It made so much more sense than before! The paranoia, anxiety, fear, depression, silence, self-isolation, trouble sleeping, all of it! It made even more sense now!

Iris slowly came around. She picked up picture and flashlight again. Yes. Sure enough, it was. Though the picture was old and smudged and Storm looked very different from what she used to, it was still plain to Iris that she and Lydia were one in the same. Ah! How strange it was! The Storm in the picture looked so much younger and happier! But still, Iris could see the undeniable similarities. She would've gladly bet her life that the girl in the picture was her own mentor, 11 years ago. And the ages matched up too! 11 years ago, Storm would've been 18, the age Lydia was at her "death". And then Iris remembered something else.

Maybe Lydia had written a suicide note, but who was to say that she actually went through with it? Sometimes people wrote notes but didn't kill themselves. Or at least, they didn't do it immediately after the note was finished. Or maybe she had tried but had been rescued. Such a thing was not unheard of. And if Storm was really so famous back then, surely someone would've noticed her absence and come looking for her. Perhaps they arrived in time to save her? This place may have been a secret sanctuary to Lydia, but it was not impossible to find. Besides, maybe someone else had known about this place, but Lydia just never mentioned or never knew. After all, if Lydia really was Storm, then Iris was whoever it was that had managed to find this place without the owner's knowledge.

Iris was suddenly twice as determined to talk to Storm about this. She knew it just might get her killed because it was such an invasion of privacy, but it was a risk she was willing to take because this talk needed to happen and she was already prepared to take whatever blame Storm would lay upon her. She wasn't going to take no for an answer anymore. She already knew the truth and Storm was going to help her confirm it. For once, there would be no debates, deals or denials. Iris would get an answer out of Storm even if it killed her! (Ok, so maybe she wouldn't go that far, but come on! The truth was out! Or at least, to Iris it was. And now Iris wanted to know more, and Storm couldn't just gloss over this one. Iris wouldn't let her). So Iris squared her shoulders, taking a bold step from the cave, prepared to talk to Storm.

She already had it all planned out. On the ride home, she and Storm would take a separate cart and Iris would talk to her there. It would be a tiny, enclosed space. For better or worse, that was a good place to have a private conversation. Sure, it would still be a devastating blow on Storm for Iris to give the big reveal like this, but it had happened and now all either of them could do was go with it and move forward, deciding a new plan as they went. And even if Iris weren't planning upon grilling Storm for information, she had still snuck into Storm's secret sanctuary and dug through her belongings. Iris wouldn't be able to hide that from her forever. It was better to come clean now and apologize than wait until Storm found out herself. Either way, this talk had to happen, and both sides were going to confess to dishonesty, no more lies or facades.

Or at least, a dramatic double confession had been Iris' plan. That all went down the drain after she took several more steps out.

"Storm?!" the brunette hadn't meant to make a noise, but seeing Storm just looming there in the shadows terrified her. She looked even taller in the dark. And of course, Iris hadn't expected to see her here anyway.

"Iris," Storm's voice was hoarse. Iris found it far scarier than if she had just started yelling. The woman stood there in her nightclothes, wild-eyed and wild-haired, chest heaving from running all the way out here. It didn't take either of them more than a second to understand what the other had done. So, that confession hadn't gone quite as well as Iris had hoped… Iris instantly began to cower and apologize, bravado gone as she begged for Storm's mercy. She knew she was in the wrong and she knew she was about to pay for it. Hard.

For a moment, Storm could only stand there, still looking like a madwoman as she stared uncomprehendingly at Iris' apologies and pleading, but when she finally thought of the words to say, she interrupted Iris and went all out. 11 years of pain and secrecy had surfaced and Storm was off, ranting at the top of her lungs. After 11 years dormant, the volcano was finally erupting and coming to life. Violently. It was a good thing they were so far from camp. Storm screamed her heart out about any and everything and Iris only stood there and took it, even though only half of the things Storm was shouting were directed at her.

But at last, Storm ran out of steam. She'd finally gotten everything off her mind, even if it wasn't as discreetly as she'd hoped. But life had a way of ruining everything a person thought would happen and then replace it with the exact opposite. Iris was still stock still. They remained that way for a moment more before Iris continued to apologize, sensing that Storm's initial rant was over. Oh, she could definitely tell that the woman was still seething from the big reveal, but there would be no more yelling. At least not yet. Now was the time for that terrifying whisper-talking where voices were lowered instead of raised, but the anger and energy contained within the words was just the same.

"Storm. I'm really sorry I looked in your stuff. I know it was wrong of me, but I couldn't help it. I had just been so curious for all this time. I didn't realize how bad it was… I mean, if I had… I wouldn't have… I mean, I know that doesn't excuse anything… I didn't know it was yours. But then, I just couldn't stop because I was so interested and I didn't realize… Oh, I'm so, so sorry!" the brunette stammered and stuttered while Storm continue to stand there, face contorting into every negative human emotion possible.

"How much did you learn?" the blond panted heavily, face still twitching from grief to anger to fear and back again.

"All of it. Starting from your time in a neglectful home and ending with your… suicide," Iris swallowed in terror as Storm's face darkened even more. The blond was too overwhelmed to speak. She stood there in silence. But at last, words came to her. She never got to use them though. Before she could, Iris had cut her off with a horrified cry. Storm turned around. Five feet in front of her was a Noctifer lion…Great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Soooo, whoomp! There it is! The big reveal! And the (possibly) long-awaited backstory of our deutoragonist! But it ain't over yet, because now this lovestruck and heartbroken woman and the object of all of her present joys and pains are going to have to duke it out with one last stray Noctifer. Alone. On the Westside Cliffs. Talk about a redemption arc, eh? So come on, Storm! Show 'em what you got!
> 
> Also, I'm going to start giving shout-outs to my reviewers, so here we go:
> 
> Thanks to zanybellecloudo (Fictionpress) for being my first reviewer, though I have not seen you since the first chapter. 
> 
> Thanks to WaywardKnight (Fictionpress) for being my most frequent reviewer, though I haven't seen you in awhile either. I miss you and hope you're doing well! 
> 
> Thanks to JaydaJones (Wattpad) for your one review about Storm and Iris, I totally agree! (Insert wink)
> 
> And special thanks to penguinlover611 (Wattpad) for being such an inspiration and friend, both to me and this story. You have my and Denbar's gratitude!
> 
> (Thanks to Isada and 2 guests (Archive of Our Own) for leaving Kudos).


	36. Returning to a Nightmare

There was only the one Noctifer, and it wasn't even that big, but since neither Storm nor Iris were ready to fight, it looked bigger and scarier than any other Noctifer they had ever fought before. It raised its greenish hackles and shook its ratty mane as it took one aggressive step forward. Storm and Iris both quickly took a step back. It took another step forward.

"Iris. Get back into the cave. Now," Storm whispered. Iris heard her and obeyed at once, backing up at a quick but steady pace. Storm, meanwhile, stood her ground, guarding the mouth of the cave and glaring. The Noctifer growled, but it figured that these two girls were dead meat no matter what they tried. They weren't carrying any weapons and both were wearing very thin nightgowns. This would be too easy a kill! Or so it thought.

Iris had understood that Storm's command to get back into the cave was more than what it appeared. She wasn't just telling Iris to get to safety, she was telling Iris to get some of the weapons and armor in that trunk in the cave. Storm already knew that Iris would've snooped around enough to have found those old pieces of armor and arms. As embarrassed as that thought made Iris, she had gone back into soldier mode. There was no time for petty personal squabbles when a much more pressing matter was standing face to face with them, so Iris obeyed.

Once inside the cave, already having reverted back to her more serious side that worked so very well with Storm in combat, she ran to the first box and began digging around at once. She managed to find helmets, gauntlets and swords, but that was it. Oh well, it would have to do… Iris quickly pulled on the arm guards and grabbed a sword before taking the helmet and other sword back outside. When the Noctifer lion saw this, it growled even louder. So maybe this kill wouldn't be so easy after all…

What followed was quite the battle, starting with Storm's second command.

"Climb." Perhaps it seemed impossible to climb while holding a sword, but being a soldier taught such skills. Storm was easily able to start inching up and over her old secret cave and Iris scurried after her. She might not have had as much experience as Storm in matters of climbing, but being the Gifted girl she was, the balance and agility needed to climb one-handed came relatively quickly to her. And of course, the angry Noctifer trying to climb up after them was an incentive to move.

"Strike!" was Storm's next command. Iris understood it at once, the two being a very good pair in combat, always understanding even the most obscure and vague of signals. She slashed an arch with her sword, its tip pointed downward. She heard a roar of pain. Although she had not doubted Storm's command, she still couldn't deny satisfaction at having struck something. Even if it wasn't more than a flesh wound, she loved getting to use a sword. But now was not the time to celebrate! The Noctifer was not even close to giving up. Instead, with the same persistence the girls showed, it climbed up the unyielding wall of stone to the very top of the Westside Cliffs.

"How the heck did we do that?" Iris was panting hard, hands on her knees as she peered back down the dark cliff. The Noctifer lion was getting closer, but both soldiers were estimating that it had about 20 full seconds before it came within reach to them.

"I don't know," Storm replied, panting even harder. It really was a miracle, two underdressed women finding the strength and dexterity to climb up a 100-foot tall cliff in the middle of the night, and all while fighting off an alien lion! But they were going to need another miracle if they wanted something that would save their lives and end the Noctifer's. They also had about 13 seconds to think of something.

"Game plan?" asked Iris. It really was like they were living in an entirely different timeline right now. They put aside their personal issues so quickly and so easily, returning to their soldiering personas with more ease than it took to turn day into night.

"We'll try to push it down before it gets up here," Storm replied. She joined Iris took peer down the cliff. Just a few more seconds…

What ensued was a strange game of whack-a-mole, two nightgown-clad women smacking a lion-alien with a short temper and ratty mane with swords that hadn't been touched in a decade as said lion-alien tried to claw its way up a 100-foot tall cliff. Yeah. It was strange. But what wasn't? But finally, the game ended. The mole jumped straight up and over the whackers. Now the roles were reversed, the lion closer to the inside of the mountain while Storm and Iris were on the edge.

"Oh, snap," Iris muttered. The alien lashed its tail proudly.

"One left, one right," Storm replied. At once, Iris sprinted left while Storm took right. It was a risky move to separate, but it was the best current plan of action. To send one girl one way and the other girl the other way would confuse the Noctifer for about three seconds, and then force it to choose one enemy would allow the non-target to pursue it.

As both soldiers expected, Iris was the first chosen target. She was so tiny and cute that she didn't look like much of a threat, but what the Noctifer didn't know was that Iris was fast. Even Storm didn't quite understand how Iris was able to run at such speeds, but she did understand that Iris had a knack for combat, physical situations, and survival. It would be a lot harder to killer than what was expected. Storm knew this, even if she didn't know why, so she was going to use it to her advantage the way Iris did. Leave that poor Noctifer confused when it took more than five seconds and three swipes to get rid of her! So the moment the lion began to pursue Iris, she kicked into her high gear while Storm went chasing after them both. Of course, she knew the Noctifer could turn on a dime and go after her, but Iris knew that too and was also already ready to go from chased to chasing. They were both already ready to have each other's backs. They wouldn't go down easily.

At last, Storm and Iris ceased running and were preparing to fight the Noctifer face to face.

"Swipe after strike!" Storm instructed. The command was self-explanatory. Storm thrust her sword forward and the moment the Noctifer recoiled, Iris sprung forward and moved her sword into another arch, this time in front of her face instead of below. The Noctifer roared angrily and pawed at them. Iris and Storm both easily dodged the blow before Storm thrust again which was followed up by a second swing from Iris.

Back and forth Storm and Iris went, attacking the Noctifer whenever it dared to swipe at them. They were holding up fairly well, given the circumstance, but this frustrated the Noctifer lion to no end. Finally, it focused all of its strength on Iris. It was like at the very start of the battle, though this time the Noctifer was far more adamant that it would ignore all else until Iris was dead. It continually clawed and snapped at her, ignoring everything Storm did to it in the interval.

Iris could sense this change in tactic from the Noctifer and went on the defensive. She wasn't going to waste energy on anything other than surviving. She hadn't even really used much of her Gift outside of the natural boost in physical capability. She did try and "eat away" at the Noctifer a little bit, but her Gift was still very slow. As useful as it was in combat, it was not good for fights where she couldn't hide and focus, such as this one. So she kept on deflecting and dodging blows while Storm continued her more offensive attacks that the Noctifer continued to ignore in its frustration and desperation to at least get in one kill tonight.

At last, however, Iris misjudged a move and ended up getting hit by the alien. Normally, the blow would've only been disorienting, but Iris didn't have any armor except for the gauntlets. It was like being slammed in the chest by a really large slab of concrete. The girl finally stumbled, being knocked back a few feet before landing hard on her back.

"Iris!" Storm screamed out for the brunette as she saw her being knocked back. Maybe Iris was still alive, but Storm genuinely thought that such a hit would break, or at least crack, some bone in the chest. That was not a good ailment to have in a battle.

"I'm ok!" Iris tried to insist, but the words hurt to speak and did not come out with as much strength as she'd hoped. The wind had been knocked out of her. Storm leapt to her side at once, standing protectively in front of her.

"I'll be fine," Iris tried again, attempting to stand up and stand beside Storm instead of behind her, but Storm only pushed her back again.

"Stay behind me!" she commanded. The Noctifer was moving slowly again, its blow against Iris giving it a confidence boost.

"But I can still-" Iris began, reaching up to the woman.

"I don't care!" Storm interrupted, then she lunged forward without another word.

Iris just didn't understand how much this battle really meant to Storm. It was more than just a fight for survival, it was one for forgiveness, redemption, honor and second chances, as cliché and impossible as that sounded. Storm just wasn't about to let another comrade die alone here on this stupid cliff! That was a mistake, and an old one at that. She wasn't ever going to do it again. No more running away. She was going to stand and stay here, even if it killed her. Though the way she saw it now, even if she managed to survive, she would not last long if Iris didn't. If Iris died, there would be no point anymore. This was Storm's one chance to prove that she was not the silly little coward she was 11 years ago. She had grown, physically, mentally and emotionally. Iris was her chance to prove that, and she wasn't going to put it to waste! And Iris was so dear to her. Even if this hadn't been a redemption arc, she wouldn't tolerate anything harming the younger soldier. It would kill them both.

So while Iris caught her breath, still struggling to stand up, Storm held the battleground. Even if she didn't land a single blow, just standing against the Noctifer instead of fleeing from her gave her a sense of empowerment. Oh yes, she was certainly a changed woman. Maybe this impromptu battle was like returning to a nightmare, but this time, Storm was going to wake up unafraid. She would save Iris the same way Iris had saved her. They protected each other, and now it was Storm's turn to take on that role.

But then at last, Storm was cut down too. The Noctifer managed to knock the blond about 10 feet back. It was a very impressive blow, but it did not bode well for Iris. She was still literally a sitting duck, and now Storm had the wind knocked out of her too, so any protection she could offer was going to be put on hold while the Noctifer was free to go. It almost seemed to sense that it finally had the upper hand, swaggering along again instead of running or jumping. Iris could only whimper and scoot backwards as it drew closer. It advanced on Iris until its giant, psychotic face loomed over her. She could only whimper and shake as it raised a paw and then brought it back down. Iris' managed to narrowly miss the blow, rolling out of the way, but it caused a massive surge of pain through her torso. As Storm suspected, Iris was pretty sure she'd broken something in there. Maybe a rib, maybe the sternum, but was she going to live long enough to find out?

CRUNCH! If the bones hadn't been broken then, they were now. This blow finally landed, and blood and bone both burst from Iris' side. It had essentially stepped on her sternum, forcing the ribs closer to her sternum in and down and the ones on the end up and out. It was a very gory, gruesome, graphic injury and it was one that would be incredibly hard to survive, even for a Gifted. Iris really wished Kit or Wilde were here. She could only stare at the weird white stumps sticking out of her side and all of the red rivers pouring out of her and down them and onto the stones all around her. Her shock was so great that she wasn't even in that much pain, an incredible mercy given how violent the injury was. Or maybe she was in pain, but there was so much she just couldn't process it all and her mind was already shutting down. Maybe that was why everything seemed so… off, and wobbly. Every sight and sound, every thought, came to her like jelly. Had Clover felt this way? Having her throat ripped straight from her neck was almost as bad as having ribs pushed straight through skin and muscle.

While Iris was hazily thinking about things that made no sense and meant nothing, a battle was still raging quite ferociously over her head, though it was beyond her notice by now. As she lay convulsing on the ground in a bloody mess, Storm was busy riding the Noctifer like a bull. Literally. The moment the lion brought its paw down for the first blow, Storm had jumped to her feet, despite still finding it hard to breath. Unlike Iris, nothing had broken. Although the Noctifer's blow had landed her farther away, it hadn't been as rough as the one Iris got. Then when she heard bones break and saw that little fountain of blood, she was suddenly literally on top of the Noctifer, screaming and fighting and biting, literally hitting any part of the alien with whatever she could. All her inhibitions and thoughts were gone. All she had seen was Iris being grievously injured and that was all she needed to see to know that no matter what happened or who died, that Noctifer was going to pay dearly!

Storm's rage was so immense that even Iris, woozy as she was, was terrified. She silently thanked Denbar, in that moment, that Storm was a friend and not a foe. Storm had become the vicious and wild warrior, the berserker, of old, fighting off a Noctifer alone in a hate-fueled fury. All else was secondary and she noticed nothing but how many blows she was able to land. This was the woman the legends spoke of and this was the woman the entire country feared and respected. This impossibly talented fighter was the perfect picture of what Storm was capable of.

But Storm was neither goddess nor Amazon, as the legends and rumors said. Nothing she did was done without at least a bit of help. She had only come this far because of Iris, so it was strangely fitting that Iris managed to use just one little bit of her Gift to loosen a few stones on the edge of the cliff. The Noctifer took a cowering step back as Storm continued to drive it towards the cliff. One paw hit the wrong rock and down it went. Weak as she was, Iris still could cause a few stones to crumble to dust, just enough to cause a mini landslide.

Storm's sword fell from her hand and she ran over to Iris, kneeling beside the girl at once. The Noctifer had barely even fallen when Storm had suddenly switched gears with impossible speed. Gone was the terrifying warrior queen and back was the concerned and overprotective mentor-friend. The Noctifer hit the ground, a thud in the distance that both girls missed. Iris was trying her best to stay awake, but fatigue was finally, finally setting in and her injury wasn't getting any better. Storm was at her side and wasn't going to leave it again. The Noctifer died on impact.

"Come on Iris, come on, hold on, please!" Storm murmured, wrapping one arm around Iris' waist and the other around her shoulders. Iris gasped in pain as Storm was forced to shift her body. Storm felt something sting her eyes, but nothing fell. It hadn't in 11 years, and she was determined not to break that record, though it was getting real close. So, to distract herself, Storm continued to plead with Iris, begging her to stay with her for just a bit longer. "Don't go, don't leave me! Please! Please, Please! Not yet, ok?! Not so soon! Don't leave me so soon. You can't leave me. You can't!" Storm had no clue what her plan was, but she couldn't bring herself to leave Iris.

At last, she began to strip, removing her helmet and her thin, dirty, torn nightgown, trying to make it into something resembling a bandage. It wasn't much, but it might buy a bit of time. Iris would not survive a trip down the cliff, so Storm would have to bring help back up. As reluctant as Storm was to leave Iris, she would have to if Iris were to survive. Iris was going to need all the time she could get. Her purple eyes were already so dull and dim, no longer bright and glowing. All thoughts of victory had been banished from Storm's mind. She was returning to a nightmare, being dragged back into a bitter reality. Iris was dying in her arms. This was not how it was supposed to end.

"I'm sorry," Iris choked out weakly, moving to caress Storm's face as Storm wrapped the makeshift bandages around Iris' mutilated and barely moving torso. Storm sniffled as she hushed the tiny brunette, still trying to compress Iris' wounds as best she could with what little she had.

"No, I'm sorry," Storm apologized. "I wasn't quick enough… Again…Just, please don't go. Not yet, not so soon… Hold on just for a little!"

"Nonsense!" Iris protested, finally understanding just how much this battle mattered to Storm. And just how much it was going to hurt her if Iris didn't survive it. "You did wonderfully!" the brunette continued, trying unsuccessfully to get Storm to see the positive to what had happened tonight. "You saved us both! And you killed the Noctifer! You're a hero if I've ever seen one. Honest!" Iris cut off with a hiss of pain as Storm finished her work and lowered her back down again. Her eyes were dimmer now. The purple almost seemed black.

"I'm so sorry," the blond whispered again. "I'm going to try and go get help, ok?" she was shaking. "And you'll wait for me? Please?"

"Ok," Iris rasped, suddenly afraid now that she was no longer in Storm's protective embrace. Thoughts and fears about death and dying alone swirled in her head and she fought the urge to cry and beg Storm to stay with her. Instead, she tried to give one last smile as Storm stood up, impossibly tall and strong, and began to walk away.

Iris groaned loudly again from behind her, still cringing. Storm felt as though she had been stabbed. Honestly, she wished she had. She wished bitterly that it could've been here instead. She told herself not to turn around as she turned around.

"Shhh. It'll be ok, alright? You'll see! Just don't go yet, don't leave," Storm knelt back down again and touched Iris' cheek, trying desperately to keep them both from falling to pieces. Iris was almost more scared of seeing Storm looking so afraid and she tried to quiet herself. Storm looking afraid was unnatural as a cold sun. In the back of her mind, though, the irony of Storm suddenly being the optimist and asking Iris to stay was clear, but she said nothing. She only stared up at Storm, both of them fighting to keep their breathing calm. Iris' purple eyes were almost unseeing.

Storm's palm slowly slid away again and Iris choked down one pathetic sob as Storm turned to go, leaving her alone on the Westside Cliffs. Storm, herself, was only seconds away from a terrible breakdown. The Noctifer battle was easier than leaving Iris was, but as with the Noctifer battle, she conquered her fears and triumphed. Storm managed to climb all 100 feet in relatively short order and she ran back to the heart of camp, focused only on getting there. She did not cry or scream. She did not panic. She did not grieve. All she did was run.

Storm wasn't even close to the halfway mark back to camp when Iris finally succumbed to her wounds and blacked out. Even though she had been alone for about five minutes by then, as she slipped away, she could've sworn she could hear Storm crying for her, begging her to stay. And not just to stay in general, but to stay with her. And oh, did Iris ever want to. But that was the last thing she remembered:

"Stay! With me! Stay with me!" Dull purple eyes closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So there you have it, folks! Just a dash of tragedy! Ain't these two just adorable? Tell me what you think of all of this drama, of the battle and the big reveal. Is it over the top? Or is it getting good?
> 
> Also! Macca, I know you probably won't see this since you stopped reading, but I honestly appreciate your feedback. I can see what you mean about the story being confusing with all the gender neutral pronouns (even I struggled with keeping them straight and I'm the one who freaking wrote the story). 
> 
> I'd definitely be interested to hear what others have to say about the gender neutral pronouns because I do see now how confusing they can be, and if you want, I can just keep it at the ey/em and xe/xem or I can revert back to ONLY ey/em and I won't try to add anymore in because I don't want to scare anyone off because the story became hard to understand. 
> 
> And I wasn't necessarily trying to be one of those politically correct SJW, but like I said, I wanted to have characters that weren't just boy/girl, and to me, the only way to display that was to use different pronouns. That's why I need at least one neutral pronoun, because I know some people already use they/them, so our language already has something of a gender neutral for those who don't identify with one of the binaries. (I use ey/em instead of they/them for my own personal clarification). I mean, I know I can just use names instead of pronouns, but that becomes very clunky very fast, so I'd like to keep at least one gender neutral pronoun, if you will allow. 
> 
> (On a somewhat in-story note, since Denbar is supposed to be very queer-friendly, to me, it's not much of a stretch to think that they would have an array of pronouns instead of just two or three. They are a different culture than us, so they're supposed to be a bit different and maybe even hard to understand at times. But I digress.)
> 
> So if any reader has any suggestion on what I can do to help things stay clean and clear, PLEASE TELL ME. I really appreciate the honest comments like this. So thanks, Macca, and I'm sorry you won't be hanging around to see how this ends.


	37. Healing Process

When those purple eyes opened again, they were greeted by a warm summer sun gleaming through clean glass windows. The rays streamed in and raced across a clean, cream-colored floor onto a clean white bed where the girl with those purple eyes lay resting. It took a moment for her to come to her wits, but when she finally did, she realized that she felt… great! Strangely enough, she felt great. Maybe not in the sense that she would be ready to do anything extreme, but she felt very much at peace with herself. There was no pain or discomfort in her body, and even her mind felt mellow and relaxed. There was no chaos in her at all… What exactly had happened again?

"Ah! She's up!" a familiar voice greeted the brunette as she sat up. It was Wilde. Xe was standing in the hospital doorway.

"Hey Wilde!" Iris greeted cheerfully, but then she instantly cringed to hear how hoarse her voice sounded. Ok, so maybe she wasn't as perfectly perfect as she had thought. She put a hand to her throat. "What happened?" she asked.

"Don't you remember?" Wilde asked. Iris shook her head. Wilde suddenly looked pained and xe walked over to Iris' bedside. "You almost died." "Died?" Iris echoed. That was when Kit walked in, a similarly solemn expression on eir face. Ey explained the story grimly.

Some time in the very late night, or very early morning depending on how one looked at it, Storm had come flying into the hospital. She ran straight inside, straight to where the doctors slept. She pounded on the door and screamed for their helping, urgency clear in her voice.

"Help! I need help! NOW! It's urgent! It's Iris! She's stuck on the Westside Cliffs, and she's very close to death! Someone! Help!" she continued to scream and pound on the door until Kit answered. Ey had been the first to wake up, the rest of eir little crew slowly ambling out of bed too. Storm might've been in a panic, but all of the rest of them had just been awoken from a very deep slumber. It was going to take them time to understand what was happening. But time wasn't something they had. So the moment Kit's face appeared in the door, Storm was off, explaining at lightspeed what had happened.

A normal person wouldn't have been able to keep up with such a fast and incoherent report, but Kit was not normal, and ey was able to understand Storm's impossibly fast speech and jumbled words just fine. Once the woman finished, ey nodded once before issuing commands to the rest of the doctors, eir voice a very stark contrast from Storm's. Although ey was every bit as serious as she was, eir voice was much softer, smoother and steadier. Ey command with a perfect blend of strength and grace, getting everyone to do their jobs without having to shout. In no time flat, a small medical team had been assembled and they all quickly followed Storm back out into the night, running west again.

Although it took a while, Kit's Gift acted like Iris'. It could be used remotely and from far away. Once ey was close enough, ey imagined that ey was operating on Iris. Suddenly, ey was no longer running through a darkened forest. Instead, ey was standing over the tiny Gifted, inspecting her wounds and using Gift and surgical tool to stitch her back together. As this image grew realer and realer in eir head, eir golden eyes began to glow softly, and ey was practically able to radiate out this healing ability. Ey was sending out waves of "positive vibes" that were reaching Iris even when she was still so far away. It would not be enough to save her life, but it would be enough to postpone her death. Her cells began to heal, divide and replace at a faster rate than normal. It was Kit.

Then at last, the medical team and Storm had reached the base of the mountain. Kit quickly took the heaviest of the medicine bags and strapped it to eir back before ey started to climb. Despite her panic, Storm couldn't help but admire em for it. Ey was far from young, yet ey started climbing even faster than she did, despite being older, heavier and trying to carry an extra load. But ey climbed swiftly up the mountain, hand over hand like it was nothing while the rest of the team scrambled up the cliff's face in awkward spurts, trying to find and hand and footholds that Kit seemed to find so naturally. Storm really was quite impressed. Ey reached the peak of the cliff a good 30 seconds before she did and almost another minute before the rest of the medical team. And then, once Storm was at eir side again, it didn't even look like ey was tired or out of breath! Instead, ey was bent over Iris' entirely unmoving body, a deep and almost otherworldly look in eir eyes. Storm wanted badly to ask if Iris was ok, or even alive, and if they could save her, but she kept her mouth shut as she watched the master at work.

For some period of time, the small group remained on the Westside Cliff, Kit attending to Iris' grisly wounds as best ey could. The team helped em, never missing a beat whenever ey issued a command for a bandage or medicine or tools or whatever. Storm, meanwhile, stood guard over them all, though there would be no more attacks tonight. She just wanted to feel like she was doing something useful.

After that time was up, Kit finally deemed Iris ready and able to survive a trip back down the mountain. That was music to Storm's ears, but it was still a very delicate task. Not only were they descending a mountain in the middle of the night, but they had a very weak human to look after. But they all made it, Kit strapping Iris to eir back the same way ey had strapped that medical bag to eir back on the way up. One of the other doctors had to get that large bag on the descent and the poor fellow almost fell over five times. Luckily, though, there were no falls, and everyone made it back to ground level safely. Then came the last, and easiest leg of the journey: carrying Iris back to the hospital. That had not taken long at all, and Iris had been in that hospital ever since.

"How long has it been?" asked Iris once the story was over. She was silently marveling at how much she'd missed out on and she made a mental note to thank every single doctor that had risked a life to climb up those stupid cliffs to save hers.

"Five days," Kit replied with a casual shrug.

"FIVE DAYS?!" Iris hollered in disbelief.

"Hey, shhh," Kit raised eir hands in attempt to calm Iris down. She cringed in embarrassment before hushing herself.

"Ooops, sorry. I meant, 'five days'?" she asked again, this time much quieter than before.

"Sadly, yes," Kit said. "But it was a pretty serious injury. You're lucky you're still alive." Iris shivered at these words. No matter how true they might've been, the thought of death and dying alone did still scare her a little. And it wasn't fun to think about how close she'd been to such a bitter end. It suddenly felt so much colder in this nice little hospital room…

"But don't worry, the worst is over. You'll be ok now," ey winked at her, intentionally making one of eir golden eyes glow in attempt to soothe her and remind her that she was in very good hands. Iris couldn't help but smile back, mirroring eir actions and sending a purple wink in reply. Ey patted her back reassuringly. "Don't worry," ey repeated. "You'll be ok. I promise. The worst is over. You will live. You just need a bit more time to heal before we'll send you on your way home…"

"I know," Iris promised sincerely. "And thank you."

"Of course!" Kit smiled down at her.

"Oh, wait a minute!" Iris interrupted herself. "Where is Storm?" suddenly, another chill returned to Iris. Although Kit's story made it clear that she had survived this ordeal, Iris still worried for the blond. Doing a quick sweep of the hospital room, Iris couldn't see her anywhere. So maybe that was a good thing, right? Maybe Storm had already gone home? Although this thought didn't make Iris feel any better. Maybe it should have but, if anything, the idea of Storm having already left without her sent a dull ache through her chest.

"Don't worry about her," Kit's tender smile turned into one of amusement as ey saw Iris' face droop when she couldn't spot Storm anywhere here in the hospital. "She's just fine," ey cocked eir head out one of the tall windows of the hospital and Iris leaned forward in her bed. If she squinted hard enough, she thought she could make out Storm's figure, running laps around the main part of camp.

"What is she doing?" asked Iris, genuinely puzzled by this behavior, though secretly glad that Storm was still here after all.

"Waiting for you, of course!" Wilde finally butted in, unable to keep xyr mirth in any longer. "She's been at your bedside practically forever! We were only just able to kick her out today and insist that she do something else other than stare at you like that would help!"

Wilde continued to snicker as xe recalled how long Storm had spent at Iris' bedside and how hopelessly infatuated she had looked through all of it, despite claiming that she was only trying to keep an eye on Iris. As if it wasn't obvious how smitten she was for the smaller, younger girl! But while Wilde was snickering over it, Iris couldn't help but grin a little. So Storm had been here? With her? At her bedside? And for so long that she had to be physically forced outside? That notion was really touching, to be honest. And the more Iris thought about it, the more she realized that the reason Storm was running laps around the main portion of camp was probably because she didn't want to stray too far from the hospital, too far from Iris. Even now, when she wasn't supposed to be, Storm wasn't too far away from Iris after all. Iris wondered if she was blushing. Storm completed another lap without realizing that Iris was awake and Wilde continued to laugh despite Kit admonishing xyr childish and rude behavior.

In the end, it took almost another five days for Iris and Storm to leave Camp Greene. The healing process was a slow one. Even with a healing Gifted, the healing process still took time.

"It took me nearly five days just to wake you up!" ey cried when Iris asked why she wasn't allowed to go home yet. "It'll probably take another five just so I can set all your bones and organs back in order!" then ey was off, explaining in full gory glory all of Iris' wounds. She cringed a little, not having meant to offend Denbar's best doctor. It was just that she missed Camp Heath and everyone else in it. They had all gone home on time, even though none of them had wanted to after hearing what happened to Iris and Storm on the Westside Cliffs. But they were all back at Camp Heath now and Iris wanted to join them, but Kit was a doctor, not a miracle worker. Every Gift had its limits, including eirs.

But maybe it was good that Iris was going to have to be stuck here for a few more days. It would give her and Storm some time to confront one another outright. There would be no way for them to skirt their person problems or inner demons. By being stuck back here in Camp Greene alone, they were unable to run and hide from each other and themselves anymore. The truth was going to come out now, one way or the other. And on the second night, Iris was the first to instigate that painful but necessary part of the healing process.

"Hey Storm," Iris reached out to her old mentor on that second night she was awake. Although the blond was entirely healed, Kit's Gift working far faster on her because her wounds weren't nearly as bad as Iris', she was still trying to find a way to get an excuse to sleep near Iris.

"Yeah Iris?" Storm answered, voice just as soft and open. Iris grinned despite herself. It was a relief to hear Storm's voice, even if it sounded so unsure of everything. It certainly beat the usual silence.

"I think we should talk about what happened that night. In the cave?" Iris' statement began boldly enough, but with every word she spoke, her voice got softer and shakier until Storm could barely hear the last three words. But since Storm's mind had been running a very similar path, she didn't need to hear Iris' question to know what the girl was asking, and as much as it pained her, she had to agree. They really did need to talk, no matter how uncomfortable they felt about that. After all, those secrets had nearly gotten them killed once. Was keeping them around a good idea? Better to spill everything now before something else could kill them than to try and keep secret that which both of them already sort of knew.

"Yeah. Ok. Let's talk," Storm finally forced out. It was a strangely casual reply, but Iris supposed that it was because Storm felt just as embarrassed as she did right now. The truth was never easy to speak, especially when it put the speaker in a negative light. But still, no more secrets. It was time to come clean.

"I just wanted to apologize, now, for intruding upon what was a very private and personal place," Iris was the first to start, though her voice still shook. "I wanted to apologize for butting instead of respecting your desire to be left alone. I may have only done it out of curiosity and a desire to check up on you, I know it was still very wrong of me to intrude upon your space. And I know that cannot undo what I have done, but I still think that it's worth the effort to let you know that I am sorry I hurt you and betrayed your trust."

"But you wouldn't undo it if you could," Storm replied at once. It was not a question, but Iris answered anyway.

"In truth, no. As wrong as it was of me to learn your story without your permission, I do not regret it. I only regret hurting you and doing things the unfair way, but I do not regret what I have discovered, and I won't pretend that I would be moral enough to wipe my mind if I were able."

"Ha. Thought so," Storm grunted back. Even in the middle of an awkward heart to heart, they could still read one another so well and laugh over it.

Storm could hear it within Iris' apology that as genuinely sorry as she was, she still wouldn't undo her discovery of Storm's story just because it had been such a burning curiosity within her before. Storm was not angered by this at all. In fact, to be honest, she had to admit that she understood exactly where Iris was coming from. She was certain that if she had been in Iris' place, she would've done the exact same thing, so it would be unfair to condemn the purple-eyed soldier for something that she, herself, would do. But like Iris said, Storm did still have a right to be mad and to not forgive her, at least not yet, about what she had done to Storm.

But Storm wasn't exactly clean either. And she wasn't just thinking about her past anymore. She had been pretty dishonest and secretive. It wasn't fair of her to condemn her friends' curiosity when she was so mysterious. Even though privacy should've been respected, Storm couldn't exactly get mad at all that had transpired. She refused to talk, yet continually dropped hints of needing help. It was her own fault if someone finally pursued her. Besides, maybe this was what she'd wanted all along: to be found out. Maybe her stupid and fickle subconscious was finally getting its wish. Despite her outward behavior, maybe it was good that someone had finally discovered her secret, even if in a very unorthodox way.

So Iris had come clean, told her story, confessed and apologized. Storm felt she ought to do the same, even if Iris had already promised her that it wasn't necessary and that she could keep her secrets if she wished.

"I think I will tell you," Storm had said.

"You don't have to," Iris promised. "I swear I won't go snooping anymore."

"I know you won't," Storm replied sincerely. "But you already know so much anyway that I as might as well tell you the rest. There isn't much now. And to be honest, maybe I do want someone to talk to…" that had been the very first time Storm ever admitted to wanting to talk to someone about her past. Iris knew this and shut up at once, not bothering to protest as Storm gave up her story. Freely this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Iris survived. Shocker. But get ready because the next chapter is going to be a blast to the past! (It's just about Storm's history AFTER the Camp Greene mess-up).


	38. The Rest Was History

Storm confirmed everything that Iris had read in her journal, only touching briefly upon those segments of her life to clarify a few points. What she really wanted to talk about was what happened after her time at Camp Greene, where the journal cut off. Iris already knew about her upbringing and her first year as a soldier, but that was only half the story…

Iris had been correct about that suicide note. It really had been Storm's intention to kill herself, being unable to cope with her internalized guilt and self-loathing, but she chickened out before she could ever really go through with it. As much as she hated herself and her life, she was still too afraid of death to just throw it away. So that was when she decided to run away instead. Maybe it wasn't as final as a suicide, but it would still get her away from her past and into a place that could be a potential future. She had the chance to start all over again. So that was what she did. She faked her death, and then ran. She never looked back, never returned to camp, never returned to that little cave. So that suicide note was only a half-lie, in some aspects. She might've still been alive, but as far as anyone knew, her old self was dead. She was never going back. It was a separation as final as death. But where did that leave Lydia now?

After spending about a month alone, just roaming the wilds and sometimes dipping into the very edge of Denbar, Lydia finally decided to go back to the army. As much pain as the thought brought her, the army really had been her first and only happy memory and, even if she had made a terrible mistake back there, she was still a brilliant soldier. For her to just quit the army was a huge loss to the Denbarian cause. So she went back, but this time, she went south instead of north. She arrived in the middle of the month in the middle of the night in the middle of a rainstorm, running right into the newly crowned leader of Camp Heath: Captain. He had been running a late-night patrol when she showed up and, through the downpour, gave him a name and a request: "I am Storm, and I would like to join your army camp." The rest was history.

So perhaps her arrival had been strange and sudden and perhaps it did stir up whispers, rumors, controversies and all manner of gossip, but Captain accepted her in regardless of the rumors, brushing off Maxim's instance that she go back home and wait until the start of next month to come back like all the normal people did.

"She's breaking protocol!" Maxim had insisted rudely despite Storm being right next to him at the time he said this. "And what kind of name is Storm anyway? Clearly she's a fraud! Send her back to Denbar until she can get some proof and paperwork that she is who she claims she is!" Maxim carried on in this way for a bit longer, insisting multiple times over that Storm not be allowed to join Camp Heath.

Captain, though, finally interceded on Storm's behalf. As much as he loved Maxim, that man could be so tone-deaf and insensitive. Yeah, he was right about paperwork and protocol, but sometimes exceptions had to made! Besides, it wasn't like Captain was going to start accepting strays whenever they blew into camp. He was just using his perceptiveness to see that Storm needed to be an exception to the rule. If only Maxim would look beyond the logistics and see people instead of data. He thought too much with his head and not enough with his heart, though Maxim would argue the exact opposite for Captain. Maybe that was why they made a good couple…

"Maxim, Maxim, Maxim," the larger man waved a beefy hand. "Although what you are saying is entirely true, I implore you to realize that I simply cannot do what you want me to do! I mean, look at this girl! Clearly she does not come from a good home. Would her family allow her to join the army? I think not. And given the way she looks, she's been through enough trouble already. If she can fight, why not let her in?"

"But the paperwork…" Maxim tried, completely unsympathetic to Storm's plight. She already hated him and had only known him for about 10 minutes. She cast a subtle glare at him that he returned.

"Bullocks to the paperwork," Captain replied. "If she proves herself a good soldier, which I think she will, I see no reason to deny her a rank here. We can sort out those stupid technicalities with Chief later."

"Stupid technicalities?" Maxim blanched, but Captain would hear no more from him and Storm became a member of Camp Heath that very day. The rest was history. Maxim never forgave her for it, but she never forgave him for trying to kick her out either, so they were even.

From then on, for the next 10 years, the rest was history and Storm built up her reputation as the strongest, fiercest soldier Denbar had ever seen. Her strength and skill became the stuff of legend and although many people asked her what her tricks and tips were, she never gave an inch. Through that entire decade in Camp Heath, she hardly spoke to anyone other than Captain, but even he didn't know her story. She went with the alibi that she had come from one of the rougher states from Denbar, but that was only a half truth, and Captain could sense it. No one who came straight from Denbar was this skilled in combat. There were somethings in the military that one just couldn't learn from the streets. Captain had the hunch that Storm had actually come from another of the war camps, but he decided not to file a missing persons for her. Once again, he was willing to break the rules if it was beneficial. In this mysterious Storm's case, a small bend would be quite beneficial indeed.

Captain had tried many times over to dig something up about Storm, but nothing ever came to him. And she certainly never breathed a word to him. Storm really was a woman of silence, secrets and solitude. In fact, she even went as far as building herself her own little private cabin on the very edge of the Camp Heath training forest just so she wouldn't have to sleep or associate with any of her comrades! Captain had gotten a little angry at this, but Storm was still able to weasel out his permission to build that cabin, so the cabin stayed. He and Maxim were the only people allowed in just because they outranked her, but she still made it very clear that she would've preferred if they stayed far away from it. And her. She just wasn't a people person. Only two others ever received enough respect from the fearsome soldier to be allowed inside her cabin.

The first was a handsome and charming young man named Gale Weathers. He had come to Camp Heath about a year after Storm did, but he had come at the age of 19, making them the same age. He was a very burly and buff looking fellow, so a lot of the Camp Heath soldiers were surprised to see him there instead of in Camp Greene or Camp Steuben, but the moment he started talking, it became abundantly clear that even if his body might've fit a different camp, his heart definitely belonged in this one. He was just so sweet, kind, gentle and thoughtful. A goofy exterior hid a genuine interior and he had been among the first to respect Storm's wish for privacy, going as far as helping distract the masses so that she could escape to a place of solitude. Surprised by such a change in temperament from what she usually got, Storm ended up getting to know this strange and strangely-perceptive and helpful young man and he became her first and only friend for about two years.

The second was a wise and comforting woman named Elsa Eld. She had come to Camp Heath three years after Storm, but was not new to the army the way Gale had been. On the contrary, she had trained at Camp Greene and was even a soldier there when Storm had just joined up! Though Storm did not tell her this. All of this had changed about half a year ago. Half a year ago, Camp Greene's leader and deputy both died, leaving a power vacuum up north. For that next half year, nothing short of chaos reigned over Camp Greene as nearly every soldier there tried to take over the camp at least once. Finally, factions backing different soldiers started to form and it seemed like the camp was about to get into a civil war. Elsa had tried to overlook all of this in-fighting, but when the factions began, that was when she made a run for it. She couldn't take it anymore, so she transferred out of Camp Greene and into Camp Heath.

Her friendship with Storm had begun when one of the Camp Heath soldiers began harassing Elsa because of her status as a Transfer Out. Sure, the stigma had followed Elsa everywhere and sure, she'd put up with verbal attacks and subtle discrimination, but this was the first soldier to finally dare to lay hands on her. Storm and Gale both beat him up so hard that he had to take a leave of absence from the army. In return, though, Captain finally cracked down on the bullying problems in camp over the Transfer stigma and Storm and Gale received a new friend. In time, she even renamed herself Tempest in honor of the two friends who had been the very first to see her as something other than a dreaded "Transfer Out". They saw beyond the stigma and she became their best friend for it, completing their Weathers family. (She even married Gale two years after she first met him and Storm). The rest was history.

So somehow, two normal soldiers ended up winning Storm's affection and they became the stoic blond's first and only friends. They became her family. The trio wasn't just a family, though. They were also a killer team, literally! Their combined power was feared in the eyes of the Noctifers and revered in the eyes of Denbar, but Storm was still the deadliest of them all.

In fact, at one point, even Camp Steuben finally took interest in Storm. Grau, who was leader even back then, tried to recruit her. He figured that such a savage fighter would've loved a place in his camp. He was sorely mistaken. On the contrary, Storm all but spat in his face for even suggesting that she move to Camp Steuben. She did give the place a "one-week trial", so to speak, but that was it. She couldn't stand that place. Brutal as she was, it was not the place for her. She hated the camp and the way it was run and the people who were in it. It was not the place for her. And she told Grau as much. Multiple times. But the bane of her existence over in the eastern war camp was that fat, squat, selfish, self-absorbed little ninny that somehow ended up in the deputy position: Liam Venderwarp.

He was nice for about the first five minutes Storm knew him, then it became all too clear that the only thing he really cared about was himself. It got very tiring listening to him extol his own virtues and Storm knew that even if she had liked Camp Steuben, she still wouldn't have been able to live there just because of that pompous and prideful idiot with an ego as large as his gut. In time, that distaste became mutual and the two would remain enemies for many years. Suffice to say, Storm had gone home as soon as she could and had not been back since, except on missions. Grau gave up trying to lure her into his camp after the fifth time he'd asked and the second time she'd sucker punched Venderwarp.

It was funny, though. Despite Storm's outward cruelty, she was not heartless. She loved Gale and Tempest, after all. And she even ended up having several girlfriends over her time in Camp Heath, though none of them lasted more than a year. But still, it was clear that Storm did have a heart and Captain knew it. It was why he kept saddling her with apprentices. He wanted her to open up and he figured that an apprentice was the best way to do that. Sadly for Captain, every single apprentice he ever gave to Storm quit within three or four months of having her as a mentor. They all could not stand her nastiness and stubbornness and they all threatened to leave the army if they weren't given new mentors. So within the span of 10 years, Storm had not managed to keep an apprentice or a girlfriend. But Captain wasn't going to give up. Now, he was no match maker, so he let Storm decide who she was going to date, but he was going to try again to get her to keep an apprentice for all six months. He just needed to find one with exceptional skill and patience… 10 years after Storm's rise to fame in Camp Heath, a purple-eyed innocent named Iris Long waltzed into Camp Heath and, later, into Storm's heart and the rest was history.

Truly, Storm hadn't liked Iris at all at first, but the girl was unlike any apprentice Storm had ever taught before. And Storm wasn't just referring to the eyes either. She was referring to the spirit. Even though Storm had driven out every apprentice she'd ever had, Iris refused to go. No matter what Storm forced Iris to do, Iris never quit. It was unusual. What's more, when she risked her life trying to protect Storm from Grau, Storm had gone through an internal change of heart and that had been the first time the stoic blond ever looked upon any of her apprentices with a smile. Suddenly, Iris was no longer a burden or a curse. Iris could've so easily left her for dead and claimed that it was an accident, but no. Instead, Iris had come back for her, risked her life to save the woman who made her life miserable…

After that, Storm's affection for the purple-eyed girl only grew and she had been more than willing to endure Venderwarp's imprisonment if it meant Iris' safety. Then she had been more than ready and willing to look after the girl after she lost her best friend. Though those times were dark, and eerily familiar to Storm, she cared enough for Iris to overlook her personal problems and help the smaller, younger soldier cope with her loss, comforting her whenever she might need it. And to think that Storm had once despised that little, purple-eyed mouse of a girl!

But then the Camp Greene mission came up. Those two weeks had been torture, and to hear that Iris knew her dirty little secret had been nothing short of a devastating and traumatic blow, but it was nothing compared to what happened next. The moment that Noctifer lion appeared, Storm could only think of one thing: Iris. Everything else, all of her anger, fear, sadness and betrayal, was gone. She didn't care about her past, present or future anymore. She only cared about Iris. And that Noctifer. All else was immaterial.

That was why Storm fought so hard. She wasn't going to fail Iris the same way she failed her comrades 11 years ago. But, when it seemed that Iris was dead, Storm went berserk. Maybe she managed to keep a calm façade as she ran down the Westside Cliffs and all the way back to camp before repeating the loop with Kit and company in tow, but that really had been nothing more than a mask. What lay beneath her serious exterior was nothing less than her namesake. She was so terrified that Iris might actually, honestly die, and the thought broke her heart as well as angering her beyond belief. She felt an irrational hatred towards anything she saw, including herself, Kit, the Noctifer and even Iris. That anger mixed with terror and grief to combine into one perfect despair as she tried to make herself useful in the attempt to bring Iris home.

Storm had been with Iris ever since, waiting for her to wake up. Now that Iris was up, Storm felt that it was time to be truthful and to tell the purple-eyed girl everything, just in case something like that ever happened again and she died before Storm got to tell her how much she… loved her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So here you guys go. An early chapter because I won't have time to post tomorrow (college field trip). It's just a bit of closure to Storm's story. But wait! Didn't Storm just confess her love to Iris? Well, you've got to see what Iris' response is, right? So don't go too far. I'll post again on Thurs so that you all can see Iris' reaction to Storm's confess. Goodbye for now!


	39. First Kiss

An awkward silence followed Storm's last little confession and it seemed to last an eternity. All the poor blond could do was fight the urge to panic and run as Iris sat there and stared at her with an empty and unreadable face. Was this silence good or bad? Somehow, Storm felt that it was closer to the latter. Had Iris not taken her confession well? Was it a mistake to ask? Storm wanted dearly to know, but her voice failed her again and all she could do was stare back at the emotionless, expressionless brunette and hope against hope that she would respond soon. Had she even heard the confession at all, or was she still so put off by everything else Storm had thrown at her in just over 30 minutes? Storm wanted to know, but she was far too afraid to ask. The awkward silence dragged on.

Finally, however, Iris seemed to come back to herself.

"So. You used to be a Camp Greene soldier, huh?" she asked and Storm wasn't sure if she was relieved or dismayed that Iris had chosen to ask this question first out of all the other ones that she could've asked instead.

"Yeah. I was," Storm graced her with a reply, though it sounded very shy and uncertain, as though she was just as confused as Iris was.

"Hmmm," Iris nodded slowly, seeming to have a silent conversation with herself. Storm silently begged her to just address whatever it was she needed to address and not keep her in suspense any longer.

"And so, you ran away?" Iris asked next. Storm began to wonder if Iris was just going to have her recap every single detail of her life. Unfortunately, this thought turned out to be true, and Iris slowly walked through Storm's story all over again. At last, however, she seemed to have gained enough confidence and readiness to ask that one pressing question she'd wanted to ask since the moment Storm posed the answer.

"Is it true that you love me? Like, you romantically love me?" she asked finally. Her voice was so quiet and soft that Storm wanted to run. Even though this had been the one question she wanted Iris to ask the most, to actually have her ask made Storm weak in the head, heart, knees and stomach. She suddenly wished that she could be anywhere else, answering any other question, but at the same time, she wanted so dearly to give her most honest answer. She'd dreamed of telling Iris about this many times before, now that dream was coming true and it went against her nature to just let something that she wanted go without a fight.

"Yes," she forced out finally, voice even softer and quieter than Iris' had been when she asked.

"For how long?" came the next question, still soft and shy and gentle.

"I'm not really sure," Storm answered honestly. "I don't know when or where it began. It just kind of crept up on me and one day, I realized that I really wanted you to be a part of my life. I mean, I know you already are, but I just remember looking at you one day and suddenly thinking about something more and even though I tried to cast those thoughts aside, the harder I tried, the harder they returned," Storm's confession had started slow and hesitant, but the longer she spoke, the faster and more jumbled her words became. This was multiple months of secrecy all pouring out in the span of several minutes. There was a lot she wanted to, had to, get out in a very short time, before something else happened and tried to tear them apart or interrupt.

"It really did just happen one day when all my affections changed from platonic to romantic and like I said, I really don't know when or where it started or even how or why. It just did. Suddenly, I was aware, and once you're awake like that, you can't just go back to sleep. You know?" Storm tried weakly.

"Oddly poetic," Iris murmured with a weak grimace that Storm mirrored before continuing.

"By the time we got to Camp Greene, I realized what was happening with me, but it really wasn't a good time to bring it up," she said.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Iris pressed after a moment.

"I really don't know," Storm replied honestly. "I was just never a very good romantic and, like I said, there just never seemed to be a good time to tell you because you were either taken or breaking up and I certainly wasn't going to tell you here, for obvious reasons," the blond trailed off with a sigh before continuing with one last little line. "You just never seemed interested in me anyway. Oh! I mean, I totally get that! Don't think I'm trying to guilt trip you or insinuate or anything. But I just noticed that you never really seemed to return those, well, romantic stirrings and I didn't really want to bring it up and the only reason I even told you was because I just had to say it, you know? Please don't think too harshly of me..."

Storm finally trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck in what was obviously a sign of nervousness and embarrassment. Iris, however, could hardly think of such a thing.

"Harshly?" Iris cried. "I could never! I mean, maybe you're right that I've never really considered whether or not I have feelings for you, but I certainly would never judge you for yours!"

"Well I know that," Storm muttered embarrassedly, still unable to meet Iris' purple orbs. "I was just worried that, well... you know."

"That I'd reject you?" Iris guessed, Storm outwardly cringed at that, but nodded nonetheless. "Oh, Storm," Iris sighed gently, pausing to collect her thoughts. Once she had them in order, she began to speak again.

"Like I said before, I really had never considered whether or not my feelings for you might've been romantic, but that doesn't mean I'm going to turn you down or reject you or think you're some kind of freak. On the contrary, I might be the freaky one because I honestly think I wouldn't mind, uhh, well, you know... Giving it a go?" now it was Iris' turn to look flushed with embarrassment.

"Give it a go?" Storm echoed, excitement and dismay both emanating from her voice. On the one hand, it delighted her beyond belief that Iris was willing to consider her, but on the other, she didn't want Iris to start a relationship with her out of mere curiosity or half-hearted interest. She wanted Iris to be just as committed. This offer wasn't just for experimentation.

"Yeah, you know, I mean, see where this might go," Iris gestured between herself and Storm, suddenly unable to come up with the words necessary to describe what she was feeling and thinking. Why did this have to be so complicated?

"But that's just it!" Storm interrupted at last. "I don't want you to start, well, dating me, just because you feel like you owe me! I would've wanted you to date me because you wanted me too. But not just for fun, or whatever. I wanted you to consider me maybe as a potential permeant partner..." it took Storm a very long time to say this last sentence because she hesitated between every word. It was very hard for her to be this open so suddenly, but she didn't dare stop now in case her nerve would flee her and never return. Best to get it out now, like ripping off a bandage. A very long, painful bandage. She even spoke through gritted teeth, like it was causing physical pain for her to be so open.

"What? Oh, no, Storm!" Iris held up her hands. "I wasn't referring to pity dating you! Not at all. I just meant that, well, now that you've put this idea in my head, I'd kind of like to see where it goes. I mean, don't think that I'm not going to try and be committed to you, to us, just because this is a bit new to me. All I meant was that I had never really thought of it before now, but trust me that I wouldn't ever try to short-change you because of that. I mean, I would like for it to work and I would like to give it a try. Honest!" Iris continued to promise Storm her sincerity.

"I mean, we've already proven how well we work as comrades and friends, so what's a little bit of romance, right?" she added jokingly, though she knew what a foolish remark this was. Although platonic friendship was just as important as any romance, there was a very clear difference between the two and there had been cases in the past where trying to go from one to the other didn't always work out... Iris had gone from friendship to romance with a childhood friend and, suffice to say, their breakup ruined not just a romance, but a very long history as well. Already, Iris was worried what a breakup between her and Storm might do to their relationship. Did she really want to risk ruining their bond if this romantic ship sank? Well. To be totally honest. Yes. Yes she did.

As high as the risks were, Iris was starting to really want to go for this. It was overly idealistic, perhaps, for her to think that she and Storm might manage to last the test of time, but was that any reason to turn down every relationship that came her way? She would never know who it was that she was meant to be with if she never took risks and entered relationships. Besides, not every breakup ended poorly. After all, Iris and Jason were still friends, even if it had been a bit rough for the first few months.

So, yes. Iris could firmly say that, yes, despite the risks romance posed to friendship, Iris was still willing to enter a romance with Storm. She made sure to state this very clearly to the blond, reassuring her over and over again that she was agreeing to this relationship. At last, the emotional and mental stress finally seemed to overwhelm Storm and she began making a strange noise between laughing and crying as she tried to wrap her mind around all that had happened in the past few days. Maybe it wasn't the wises of choices to start a romance right after a traumatic event, but at this point, Storm didn't really care what was wise and what was not. Besides, this affection, this crush, was not new. In her mind's eye, she wasn't rushing at all. And even if Iris was, to some extent, she had still technically said yes, and it wasn't like Storm was going to take things fast. On the contrary, she intended to take things very, very, very slowly, just so both of them had plenty of time to acclimate, or back out.

The pair spent a few more minutes in an awkward silence as they tried to wrap their minds around what had just happened and how different things were going to be now that they might be a couple. Iris broke the silence first with one simple, but painfully awkward question.

"Do you think I could kiss you?" she asked at last. "Just to try?"

"What?" Storm asked back in an entirely flat tone, the shock of what Iris was asking taking her comprehension and emotion away momentarily. Iris looked aghast at the thought of having to repeat herself but she only nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Do you think I could kiss you? Just to try?" she asked again.

Now it was Storm's turn just to sit there and stare. For some reason, as much as she'd wanted for this moment to arrive, having it actually come felt wrong and terrifying. A thousand questions and answers danced on her tongue as Iris' question danced in her mind but absolutely nothing came out. She could only sit there and stare…

"Storm?" Iris asked nervously as Storm's stunned silence dragged on. Storm perked up at the sound of her name.

"Ah, sorry!" she muttered.

"That's ok," Iris replied. "But, uhh, do you have an answer?" she asked, nerves ill-concealed. The embarrassment and tension were thick enough to cut with a sword. Iris was twiddling her thumbs waiting for an answer while Storm was sweating profusely trying to think of one to give. In Iris' memory, no first kiss, or question about a first kiss, had ever been this painfully slow or awkward. But then again, the usual circumstance under which Iris would receive a first kiss was nothing like this.

Storm continued to sit there for a moment before nodding. She started slowly, nodding once or twice, but as the time ticked on, Storm began to nod faster and faster, gasping out an affirmative as she finally made up her mind. Iris suddenly felt her heart pound painfully in her chest at the thought that this was really, honestly, actually happening, but she touched Storm's cheek nonetheless, already figuring that she would have to be the one to start this thing, this first kiss.

Storm went stock-still again, but she allowed Iris to bring her face closer and closer to hers. Then at last, suddenly, the waiting was over and both girls felt warm, soft skin touching warm, soft skin. It was enough of a shock for both of them to almost draw back in surprise and embarrassment, but Iris refused to back out. Instead, she only held Storm's face just a bit tighter and continued to kiss her, exploring her lips. Storm swallowed once, nervously, then she began to kiss back, just as shy and uncertain as Iris was. It was a very awkward first kiss, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. On the contrary, the longer it dragged on, the nicer and nicer it became until it seemed entirely natural, like their bodies were making up for the lost time their minds had caused them. The kiss was slow, gentle and chaste, but it sent a firestorm through both of their minds and hearts. This first kiss, as painfully awkward as it was, was also incredibly relieving and quite enjoyable...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Disclaimer: I've never been in a relationship with or kissed anyone (guy, girl, both, neither, or somewhere between or outside of that binary) so I have no clue how actual first kisses go down. I just imagine that mine, if it ever happens, will be more awkward than romantic.
> 
> Well. There is it. The big moment, folks. They finally did it. And HOLY CRAP, let me just say that this was painful and awkward for me to write. I hope that's evident. I didn't want this to be romantic, per se. I wanted it to be very awkward and new and strange, as I understand most first kisses to be, and if you read it with even the fraction of the same emotion I had while writing it, then it will come off just the way I wanted. AWKWARD! 
> 
> Also, by a stroke of luck, not only am I able to post this chapter this morning, but I'm posting the next one this evening, so keep your eyes open. You're getting two chapters in one day, so show a bit of love and review please!


	40. What Comes After

At long last, the healing process had finished. Now the question was what comes after. Iris was physically able to go home and Storm, of course, was going with her. It was time for them to go back to Camp Heath and reunite with all their other comrades. But first, a few more farewells were in order before they could totally pack up and go.

"You'd better not die on us again!" Wilde warned upon the day Iris and Storm were shipped out. Xe had visited Iris as frequently as possible, but xe still had soldiering duties, so it wasn't like the two ever got to hang out for long.

"I'll try not to," Iris promised, grinning as the Gifted with the lightning power skipped over to her.

"Good, because I'd miss my sparring partner," Wilde play-punched the girl, giving her a tiny shock as a joke. It wasn't enough to cause pain.

"Likewise," Iris replied, returning the punch, but not quite as able to use her Gift to make light.

That was when Kit came over. Iris' purple eyes shone with gratitude as she looked up at em. "I want to thank you again, for saving my life," she began, bowing her head humbly.

"Nonsense! It's what we do for each other," Kit promised, waving off Iris' gratitude. In truth, ey was just as relieved to see Iris alive as anyone else had. Iris was a sweet girl, and besides, the two of them were bonded as Gifted. Kit would miss Iris not just because she was a friend, but because she was just like em. She understood em more than anyone (minus Wilde). Ey would miss her dearly if she were to die, and ey already knew that if a time ever did come that ey failed to save her, Wilde would never let em live it down. Ey chuckled lowly at the thought, grim as it was.

"Well, even if it was your pleasure, I still owe you my life," Iris promised the larger soldier.

"Nonsense," Kit repeated, then ey opened eir arms for a farewell hug which Iris was more than happy to return.

"No fair!" Wilde pretended to pout. Iris smirked at xem before dragging xem into the group hug. "Mmmm, much better!" xe grinned playfully.

"You take care now, you hear?" Kit asked as ey, Wilde and Iris continued to embrace. Iris only laughed in reply. She would try, but knowing life, it wouldn't take her too long to get into more trouble. It was in her nature to seek out adventure, but danger usually followed adventure, so even if Iris did try to be safe, it was doubtful that she would succeed. It was a fact of life she was finally learning to accept and get over.

But while Iris was having a playful farewell, Storm's was far more serious. She was standing atop the Westside Cliffs again, just looking out over the world around her. She was finally forcing herself to confront her demons head by returning willfully to this place of nightmares. It wasn't a very easy thing to do, but Storm figured that nothing in life worth doing was. Besides, these past few days had been hard enough already. What was one more little battle? At least it wasn't as awkward as that first kiss... Storm still smiled at the thought.

But her face quickly took on a more somber expression as she remembered why she was here. She hadn't just returned to the Westside Cliffs to try and conquer her fear and guilt, she had come here to try and apologize, if only to herself, so that she could finally move on from this place. She didn't want to be tethered anymore, but it was hard work to scrub away something that had been so much a part of her for so long. Going back to those bad memories was hard, but Storm continued to dredge every single second, turning them over and over again in her mind. In time, it almost felt cleansing. She was intentionally slogging through her repressed memories so that she could straighten them out and finally move on to make room for a future. It was like a doctor who would reopen a wound so that it would close and heal correctly the second time around, this time, without a scar or mistake left in its place.

At last, Storm achieved her goal. Or at least, she achieved part of it. It was going to take more than one simple cliff visit to get over everything, but this was a start. She had achieved a small bit of her goal, and that was enough for now. She finally felt ready to go back home and she carefully descended the mountain, never looking back even once. Bound as she was to this place, the chains were lightening up now. It was just going to be one foot in front of the other foot in front of the one. She had faced her past, now she was ready for what comes after.

So, after Iris got to say goodbye to her Gifted pals, promising to keep in touch, and after Storm had the chance to make peace with her past, the two met up with Tanya back at the heart of camp.

"I must thank you all again for your noble service," Tanya said as she walked Iris and Storm to the subway. For once, her wife was not with her. Instead, Angelina was back making calls to Labelle, requesting more building material to increase defense systems. With the Noctifer attacks finally slowing down, it was time to start building up defenses again and Angelina was wasting no time in getting it all organized. Tanya was only taking this brief break to escort Storm and Iris back to the subway. It was a sign of respect and gratitude for their courage and service.

"It was our pleasure," Iris answered and Storm nodded in agreement.

"I hope to repay you sometime soon," Tanya said as she and Storm and Iris reached the subway's entrance.

"Don't worry, with the way things are going now, it won't be long before we'll be seeing your soldiers at our door," Storm chuckled grimly.

"If that's the case, we will be ready for what comes after," Tanya promised, offering both of the visitors a brave smile. They returned it politely and then stepped onto the subway, their last sight being of Tanya waving farewell.

The two-hour trip from Camp Greene back to Camp Heath was peaceful. Neither Storm nor Iris were taking it for granted. Instead, both of them simply reveled in the stillness and silence of it all. It had been a rough time at Camp Greene for both of them and this homeward bound journey, quiet and smooth as it was, was a very welcome change. Already, some of the tension acquired all throughout their time in Camp Greene was slipping away. Storm, in particular, was starting to feel better, bolder. She was still very shaken by all that had transpired, but the feeling of Iris pressed up against her side was strengthening her little by little. Her confidence and voice began to come back and she finally spoke up.

"Hey there," Storm whispered to the tiny brunette as they rested in their tiny compartment of the subway cart.

"Hey," Iris responded sleepily, but the contentment in her voice was clear and she looked up at Storm with affection in her purple eyes.

"How are you doing?" the blond asked Iris, more relaxed now that it was just the two of them.

"I'm doing fine. And you?" Iris replied. She knew this past week had been rough on the blond, but she was doing so well.

"Much better," Storm said with a small smile. For once, there was no bitterness or sarcasm in it.

"That's good to hear," Iris responded, genuinely glad to hear that her old mentor was going to be ok.

The pair shared a short peaceful silence again before Iris asked another question, though this one was meant to be a little ironic.

"So, you used to be a Camp Greene girl, eh?" she asked with a playful smile.

"Yeah. It was nice," Storm finally seemed ready to reminisce on the good times instead of just dwelling on the bad. She still didn't give too many names out, but she spoke freely of her past. She even spoke a little bit about the mission that had led to nine of her friends dying at her hand.

"It was my first patrol," Storm reminded Iris. "That made it the first for everything else," Storm's face turned dark. "Including first to fail."

"Do you miss your old comrades terribly?" asked Iris, hating how Storm still blamed herself for the death. The healing process was slow, though. No one isolated event, no matter how dramatic, was going to be able to fix her. Healing was a process, not an event.

"Yes," Storm replied meaningfully. "Even now, I still regret what happened and I don't think the grief will ever stop."

"That's ok. I don't think grief is meant to stop, just to become manageable," the brunette said. "I still miss some of the friends we've lost."

"But those deaths were never your fault," Storm said dryly.

"Neither were yours," Iris reminded Storm gently. "No matter how much you think they were, they really weren't. Or, if you really must blame yourself, I suppose you can blame me for Clover's too. I didn't start reacting until it was far too late..." Iris felt a sharp pain bloom in her chest and purple eyes at the thought of Clover. She had to swallow the familiar guilt and loneliness that accompanied thoughts about Clover.

"Well, if you ever need me…" Storm trailed off, looking down at Iris with meaningful eyes.

"Don't worry," Iris smiled slightly, purple eyes shining. "I know. And I'll be here for you too."

"You already have been," Storm sighed, leaning down to kiss Iris' forehead. Iris giggled a little, liking the new level of affection Storm was giving her. The tiny girl still wasn't sure if what she felt for Storm was romantic or not, but the new affection was welcome anyway. Nobody had treated her like this since Clover. Sure, maybe she'd received little hugs from Jason, Lianna, Wilde and Kit, but never anything as tender as a kiss or an embrace (to Iris, there was a small but important difference between a hug and an embrace). For Storm to be giving Iris this affection was a very welcome change, and a trip back in time. Iris reveled in it. Would Clover have approved of her and Iris? She thought so. If only she could ask...

"I'm proud of you," Iris said at last, drawing her thoughts away from Clover and what Clover might think of her now. She snuggled deeper into Storm's side and Storm smiled back. She hadn't realized how much she really loved the purple-eyed girl until now.

"I'm proud of you too," she answered, and Iris gave another adorable giggle that made Storm's heart melt just a bit more.

Another silence developed between the pair before Storm started the next conversation. They were drawing near to the end of their journey when she started talking again.

"Hey, uhhh, would you mind not telling anybody about this?" she asked nervously. "I might've come out to you, but I still don't think I want anybody else knowing," Storm looked down pleadingly at Iris.

"Ok," Iris promised. She hadn't planned on telling anyone anyway, but she couldn't deny that it seemed unhealthy that, even now, Storm was being so secretive. Like Storm had said herself, she might've told Iris everything, but a lot of people were still very much in the dark about all of this.

"I know it may seem wrong of me," Storm said next, seeming to have read Iris' mind. "But I really don't feel ready to tell anyone else."

"Even Gale, Tempest and Captain?" Iris asked, but in a genuine and nonjudgmental way.

"Even them," Storm confirmed with an unhappy but serious nod. "They may be my closest friends, but I just don't feel safe telling them."

"Safe?" Iris' purple eyes narrowed.

"Oh, don't get me wrong! I trust them with my life and I know they wouldn't judge me for this anymore than you did, but I just don't really want to tell them. I don't feel ready," Storm sighed in frustration as she tried to explain why she would tell Iris her story, but not her three oldest friends.

"No, no, I understand," Iris interrupted her, and she did. It was true, there were some things that an individual just could not share. Or that they may only be able to share with certain people who didn't seem like a good or obvious first choice. There was no word for the phenomenon, but it couldn't be denied that such an occurrence was very real. After all, how many times had Iris kept secrets from her parents that she would gladly tell her friends even though, by logic, her parents had more of a right to know? Didn't every kid lie to their parents at least once, but be ready and willing to share with peers? This was something similar. Storm felt readier to share with the girl she'd known for one year than the trio she'd known for 11. But even if that hadn't made sense, Iris still had no right to demand a reason. Storm's choice was her own business, not Iris'.

Storm's shoulders slumped in relief at how easily Iris was taking this. That girl could be quite understanding. Now, that wasn't to say Gale, Tempest and Captain weren't, but like Storm had said, she just didn't feel ready to tell any of them yet. Maybe someday, but not yet. Besides, she was already going to have to deal with what that trio would do when they found out that Storm was finally, actually dating Iris! The blond shuddered at the thought. No doubt, all three of them would go nuts. But which one would go the craziest? And what would they do? Storm sincerely hoped that they wouldn't make any wedding jokes, but knowing them, they would. Though, in the back of her mind, Storm still had to smile. Storm was finally, actually dating Iris. Who would've thunk? And yet here they were! Storm began to beam like the lovestruck idiot she was.

"What's so funny?" asked Iris, seeing that sudden silly grin on Storm's face.

"Ah, nothing," Storm tried to make her smile look a bit less stupid and dreamy, Iris, however, had a fair guess, and it made her smile too, though she didn't say anything about it. Instead, she brought up another topic.

"Do you think I could start calling you Lydia again? It's such a nice name," she asked.

"I'd prefer if you didn't," Storm replied, a look of pain crossing her face and replacing her stupid grin. "I know I used to be Lydia, but I'm trying to leave the past behind. I don't want to bring her back. Besides, I've been Storm for so long that it would be weird going back to my old name!" Storm shook her head as she mentally imagined herself going by her old name again. It was a very strange thought to her.

"Alright," Iris yielded. "It was just a question."

"Oh, I know," Storm answered gently. "And thanks for the compliment. I never really liked the name. Always sounded too old and refined."

"Well, you are both of those things, especially the former!" Iris joked. Storm scowled down at her, but there was no real fire in it.

"You feisty brat," the blond said and Iris only shrugged cheerfully in reply.

"Oh, and by the way! Who are we going to tell, and when?" Iris asked next. Now it was her turn to have read Storm's mind.

"Ah, I was thinking that we take it slow," Storm cautioned as images of Gale, Tempest and Captain trying to make this a public event danced through her mind. "Like, really, really, really slow..."

"Oh, come on!" Iris elbowed Storm teasingly. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Well, one of my three stooges could try to propose to you for me," Storm deadpanned.

"Well, I just might say yes," Iris smiled innocently.

"Shut up," Storm grunted, but she smiled a little at the thought.

"I mean, what if I don't want to wait to "do the do" with you?" the tiny brunette asked.

"Whoa. Hold up. What?" Storm practically jumped out of her seat, blue eyes suddenly very wide.

"Oh, come on, Storm," Iris continued with her innocent smirk. "You know full well that I have sexual urges just like any girl."

"Tempest doesn't," Storm stuttered uncomfortably. Were things always supposed to move this quickly? Or was this just a younger generation thing? Keep in mind that Storm was a decade older than Iris and she hadn't dated in like six years. How was she supposed to know when it was ok to start talking about a potential sex life?

"Tempest is asexual," Iris reminded calmly, still grinning sweetly. "But I am not. And neither are you. I know it. You've said so before."

"Well, ok, but that's not what I meant," Storm continued to stutter the longer Iris continued to give her those... seduction eyes. The tiny brunette began to roll over in such a way that she was pressed against Storm's chest instead of her side.

"Whoa, whoa, hey! Hey now! Not here!" Storm grunted, finally pulling away from Iris altogether. The younger soldier hit the ground of the subway cart laughing. That strange look was gone and mirth had replaced it.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" she giggled from the floor. "I just wanted to do that at least once, but I promise I won't do it again!" the brunette continued to wheeze a little. Storm, meanwhile, only rolled her eyes and exhaled slowly, taking her seat once more.

"You're crazy!" the blond muttered, trying to calm her racing heart. Maybe Iris hadn't meant anything by her jokes and innuendos, but Storm had thought that she was being serious. That had been a scary half minute for her!

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Iris apologized through her laughter, hauling herself up off the floor and back into her seat beside Storm. "I mean, I really do believe taking things slow, but I'm sorry! I just had to do that! I just had to! At least once! To see how you'd react!"

"What? You wanted to fluster me?" the blond asked. Iris nodded, still stifling a last few laughs.

"You're crazy," Storm repeated in exasperation, but she scooted back over to Iris and allowed the girl to settle back down into her arms. The new couple spent the rest of the ride in that relaxed position, the cart reaching its destination within only the next five minutes.

"So. What comes next?" Iris sighed as the subway cart finally reached its station at Camp Heath, her laughter finally ended.

"Whatever life chooses to throw at us, I suppose," Storm replied with a tired sigh, but she was smiling again.

"Well, we can manage it together, I think," Iris answered, sitting up and taking the arm that Storm offered her.

"Yes, I'm sure we will," Storm said as they stepped into Camp Heath. "Together, we'll manage what life has in store for us and what comes after."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So there you have it, folks. The end of Part 2. It's been a long, busy, confusing ride, but I hope y'all still enjoyed it and everything that went down. Please leave feedback because reviews are my life, and keep an eye open for the third and final part (fair warning, it's longer than either of its preceding parts). 
> 
> Based on when you want it, I'll post the first chapter to the third part anywhere from the 10th to the 20th, but you've got to leave me reviews to let me know that you want it. Or, if you're sick of this story, now would be a good time to leave, but I will still post on the 20th at the latest. Your reviews will make the update happen sooner rather than later, but your silence won't do more than postpone things for 10 days.


	41. Love Story

After Storm and Iris finally returned home from the fiasco at Camp Greene, things settled down into something resembling normality. Sure, with the Noctifer war still going on, there were daily battles and casualties to deal with, but at least it was all routine and predictable. Nothing too extreme or weird or wild happened. And as even more time passed, Iris' romance with Storm became normal too. The first couple of weeks were somewhat awkward, what with Storm being very out of touch with being romantic and Iris still trying to wrap her head around the fact that her old mentor was now her girlfriend, but they both strove to make it work and their effort and communication did eventually pay off.

In time, Storm felt more and more comfortable with calling Iris her girlfriend and Iris herself had begun to fall for Storm in return. It was like a stupid little love story that some lonely teenager had written in her spare time. Iris even gave Storm a really sappy present for their one-month anniversary: a replica of the sword Storm had given to her when she became a soldier. The only difference between Iris' sword and the replica she made for Storm was the fact that the one for Storm was slightly larger, but other than that, it was the same, simple, shining blade with an amethyst and aquamarine on the hilt and it could even retract into a dagger the way Iris' could, though it was a bit more awkward since Storm's sword had to be larger. But Storm adored the sword and made it her new main weapon of choice to match Iris'. It was so cheesy! But that was their love story.

In fact, their love story finally reached a point where Iris couldn't imagine being with anyone else even though, before Storm's confession, Storm would've never even crossed Iris' mind as a potential lover. That was mostly because, though, Iris had been so oblivious to Storm's hints and clues of attraction. That which was glaringly obvious to Gale and Tempest only became visible to Iris after she and Storm began dating, but once Iris finally picked up on all those lingering gazes and gentle words that only she ever got to hear, Iris was hardly able to believe that she had missed it either. Storm's attraction was just so obvious in hindsight and Iris didn't take much longer to start returning ever single little cue from the lingering looks to the gentle and affectionate words.

Sure, Storm wasn't exactly one for romance or public displays of affection, but Iris didn't mind. They both understood each other's boundaries and that was all that mattered and even though Storm wasn't very affectionate in public, she was still very affectionate in private and didn't hesitate to hug and kiss Iris whenever they were alone. Iris found it really cute and sweet and kind of prided the fact that she was the only one who got to see this side of the normally stoic blond. She didn't mind at all that Storm preferred to keep things on the down-low in public. She just made sure that Storm made up for every lost opportunity whenever they were alone.

"Hey, you," Iris grinned up at Storm as she swung by Storm's cabin. They still had 30 minutes until curfew.

"Hey, Iris," Storm replied, smiling as the tiny brunette invited herself into the tiny wood hut. She was one of the few people who dared be so bold as to enter Storm's cabin and one of the fewer people whom Storm didn't mind just barging in. The blond turned from her desk to face the smaller, younger soldier as she sat down on the bed. "How was patrolling?"

"Pretty boring, actually," Iris replied. "We didn't see any Noctifers at all!"

"Well, don't let your guard down," Storm gave a humorless laugh.

"Trust me, I won't," Iris replied. "The last time any of our soldiers was stupid enough to do that, he nearly ended up getting his butt bitten off!"

"Let me guess, was it Jason?" Storm scoffed. That sounded like the exact stupid thing someone like Jason would do.

"Actually, no," Iris said. "He really is far more careful and responsible than you give him credit for."

"Yeah, whatever," Storm scoffed again. Although she had to admit that Iris was right and that Jason really was quite mature for his age, there were still moments when that boyish side of him emerged and that was the side of him that would totally get a butt-bite from a Noctifer.

"It was one of our newer soldiers," Iris continued. "I don't remember him, but I think he only just became a soldier this month or last."

"Ah, well that would make a little more sense," Storm remarked sarcastically. "Honestly, I wish Denbar would send us some real soldiers!"

"Oh, come on Storm, everyone starts off at that level!" Iris defended. "You can't expect new recruits to come in already knowing battle tactics."

"True, but I mean, this guy wasn't entirely new. If he's a soldier, he's been here at least six months," Storm countered.

"True," Iris allowed. "But what can you do?"

"Keep wishing for better recruits," Storm replied with a dry smirk and Iris could only roll her purple eyes in mock despair.

Storm's conversation ended up being quite timely too, as it was nearing the start of December. New apprentices would be in very soon and Camp Heath would finally get some fresh blood.

"Now, the question is whether you plan on attending the apprentice ceremony or not," Gale told the blond the next day over breakfast.

"Oh, shut up," Storm grunted. "That was one time."

"Yeah, per month," Gale argued. Storm elbowed him and he doubled over, but he still didn't change his opinion on Storm's attendance habits. In truth, for someone like Storm, skipping breakfast wasn't that rare. She certainly didn't do it every day, but she had done it over several other apprentice ceremonies before. The joke only came into existence, though, because she had managed to miss her own apprentice ceremony when Iris first arrived at Camp Heath about a year and three months ago now.

"Don't worry," Iris interrupted. "I'll make sure she goes!" ever since the tiny brunette had started to date Storm, she'd grown even closer to Gale and Tempest than ever before. That wasn't to say they hadn't been friends before, but with Iris now dating their 'third wheel', Iris had become an honorary fourth ranger of the Weathers family. She had also finally begun to take meals with them properly. Although there had been no rule against Iris eating with them before her relationship with Storm began, she just hadn't felt the desire or need to eat with them until her relationship with Storm began. Before then, she would've just eaten with the rest of the soldiers who had been closer to her age, like Jason.

This meant Jason was the last of the original four (Iris, Clover, Peter and himself) to be sitting at that little table in the far corner of the Dining Hall. Clover and Peter were dead and Iris had moved on. It was kind of sad, but at the same time, Jason wasn't too lonely. After all, apparently he and Lianna had started a long-distance relationship. He was entertaining a love story of his own. It wasn't easy, and it was kind of sudden, but after three months, it was still going really well. Neither party looked like it was going to back out and Jason didn't seem to mind at all. It was another very cheesy, mushy love story that made Storm cringe while it made Iris coo. Honestly, the two girls were so different it was kind of funny to imagine them being in a romantic relationship, but their love was very real and very true.

"I just wish he wasn't such a sap!" Storm complained when Iris commented that Lianna had sent him another little present through the mail. This time, it was a photo of her in a frame she'd hand-painted. A note was scrawled on the back: "With love, from Lianna. This is just so that I can be with you until we meet again, face to face."

Ok, so sure, that present had been incredibly mushy, but Iris thought it was really cute and sweet of Lianna to send it. Besides, her anniversary present to Storm had been pretty darn cheesy as well, so Iris didn't have much room to talk anyway. Besides, that picture seemed to have made Jason so happy! In the one time Iris ran into her old friend that day, he was grinning from ear to ear and actually skipping across camp. That was how Iris knew that there was no way in Denbar that Jason would ever even think of letting Lianna go. It seemed to be a mutual feeling.

"Ah, I'm sure that if Storm will listen to anyone, she'll listen to you!" Gale agreed happily in regard to Iris' remark about ensuring Storm's attendance at this month's apprentice ceremony. He'd always liked Iris because of how feisty and sweet she was, but as she continued to prove to be a huge asset to Storm's mental and emotional wellbeing, Gale had loved her more and more. Now, he considered Iris as a little sister and was a huge fan of the Storm and Iris love story. He'd even given them a ship name 'Stormris'. His and Tempest's ship name was 'Galest', so they sounded pretty similar. It was a fact Gale prided greatly.

"Oh, shut up," Storm repeated as Gale continued to look very pleased with himself and Iris. She knew that Gale got a kick out of watching her and Iris being romantic and awkward. She knew that Gale got a kick out of watching the Stormris ship float and sink. He really was like a brother to her, constantly joking with her and loving to watch her squirm, much to her endless exasperation.

"Alright, Gale, leave it alone," Tempest finally took enough pity upon Storm to try and reign her husband in. She, unlike him, was a lot nicer about the whole Stormris thing. Although she still definitely supported it, she didn't flaunt or make fun of it the way Gale did. Instead, she was a lot more sensitive to it and she understood Storm's reserves about the romance she had with Iris. For that reason, she was willing to be the first to reign in the jokes if it ever seemed that they were making Storm a bit too uncomfortable.

Storm smiled at Tempest in relief, still eternally grateful for the politeness, sensitivity and respect Tempest was showing her. That wasn't to say Gale was rude or pushy, but he did like to get Storm's goat and it kind of bothered her. Iris, however, thought it was funny.

"Come on, Tempest, he's got a point," the tiny brunette said to the taller, older brunette.

"That's right!" Gale bragged. Clearly pleased that Iris was on his side of the argument.

"I am the only person capable of dragging Storm out of bed in the morning," said Iris, then a sly look crossed her grinning face. "And I'm the only one who can get her to go to bed at night…"

"Oooooh!" Gale howled in delight while Iris gave Storm a wink before laughing playfully. Even Tempest couldn't mask a smile at that joke, though Storm looked less than amused.

This more sexual side to Iris, though not very prominent or common, was something Storm had not expected to ever see (though that pretty much summed up their entire love story), and although she didn't mind it too much, she couldn't deny that the jokes and innuendos sometimes made her blush. She and Iris had never gone further than kissing, but sometimes, the way Iris spoke, one would've thought they'd gone a lot further than that! But that was why Storm got a little flustered. Although the idea of making her love story with Iris a bit more mature was kind of nice, it still felt a bit awkward to the blond, but Iris understood and tried to keep the jokes at a minimum out of respect. This was just one of those rare times when she had to make just one little funny.

"Well, Iris, if what you say is true, I want Storm in bed super early so that we can actually see her at the upcoming apprentice ceremony, ok?" Tempest teased. Iris nodded seriously before giving her word of honor that Storm would be in bed at 8:00 on that night.

"Come on, guys, I don't need a nanny!" Storm whined. "The apprentice ceremony doesn't even start until the end of breakfast anyway!" she added, but Tempest and Gale were too busy teasing her with Iris to hear her. Their love story really was quite adorable, and even Storm had to agree, no matter how much the other three got under her skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Well. I'm back again. And although I'm a little disappointed that no one asked for more of this story sooner, I guess it's whatever. But that tells me that my audience has little passion for the story. Because of that, I'm decreasing how often I'll update. I understand sporadic updating is disliked amongst readers, but lack of a response is disliked by writers. I have other things to do right now (college started today and I just got out of my first day of classes) and I will not be as quick with updates as I used to be. Hope you enjoyed the start of part 3, kicking it off with that good gay stuff.


	42. Blast From the Past

A few days later, just as promised, Iris showed up on Storm's cabin door bright and early.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" Iris singsonged as she pounded on the wooden door. For a moment, there was no reply, but after enough ceaseless knocking, she finally received a string of grunts and groans from the other side of the door. She chuckled to herself as she imagined Storm lazily rolling out of bed, eyes still shut as she fumbled with her bed sheets just to get to her feet. It was in times like this that Iris could hardly believe she was considered the strongest, bravest, fiercest soldier in Denbar. Iris pressed her ear to the door, continually stifling laughter as she could hear Storm stumbling around. She could hear how uneven Storm's footsteps were and her imagination was able to fill in the gaps.

Iris did have to admit, however, that she wasn't usually a morning person either. The only reason she'd gotten up this early today was because she had been fully intent upon keeping her joke-promise to Gale and Tempest that she would wake the cranky Storm up extra early just to ensure that she wouldn't miss another apprentice ceremony. Sure, it was needlessly cruel, especially since Storm was not receiving any new apprentices herself, but it was all good fun. Besides, Storm still needed breakfast, so she would've had to get up anyway.

"Alright, you little monster," Storm grunted as she finally pushed open her cabin door. She was already entirely dressed in uniform and looked ready to jump into combat right then and there, but Iris could still sense a sleepiness hanging about her.

"Good morning, sunshine," Iris teased. Storm continued to scowl down at her.

"I don't see why this early wake-up call was necessary," she said. Her voice was low and raspy from just waking up. "The ceremony isn't even going to start for another half hour!"

"Will a race wake you up?" Iris replied, still laughing.

"Probably not," Storm muttered, clearing her throat, but the gravelly quality refused to go away.

"Well, too bad. Get movin' soldier! How else will you be ready to defeat the Noctifers if you're too busy sleeping?!" while Storm continued to try and wake herself up, Iris suddenly began barking orders in her sharpest and most authoritative voice. It would've been slightly more convincing had she not been laughing the whole time though, but that was because she was now using some of the same lines on Storm that Storm had used on her way back when the two of them were still mentor and apprentice. Iris looked so proud of herself for remembering those lines and finding a moment when she could, at long last, turn them back against Storm.

"Oooh, you feisty little thing!" Storm growled as Iris continued to look pleased with herself, but she was honestly quite impressed and amused that Iris had not only remembered those lines but managed to find a time when she could throw them back at Storm. Iris only stuck her tongue out before darting away and Storm, though still tired, was not one to take defeat lying down. Instead, despite her tiredness, she forced herself to run after Iris and the two sprinted across the frozen camp grounds and to the dining hall. Iris won, but only because of her head start and, as only known to her, her enhanced speed due to her Gift.

"Ah! Just on time!" Tempest saw Storm and Iris first and she could see from the way their chests were heaving that they had just come in from a race. She couldn't help but chuckle. It really did mean so much to her to see Storm looking so happy. That wasn't to say she'd been miserable in all the days before she met Iris, but it was evident that dating Iris had done a lot of good for the stoic soldier and, as one of her best friends, this fact made Tempest smile. Besides, it was always a pleasure to see little Iris Long and running into the dining hall for breakfast was just so typical of her that it made Tempest laugh just a bit harder. Iris had definitely mellowed out and become more serious and mature ever since joining the army, but there was still a lot of spark and spunk left in her and Tempest, among others, hoped that it would never fade away.

"Yeah, she came banging on my door at the earliest of hours!" Storm sighed dramatically as she sat down beside Tempest.

"Did not! It was only a few minutes ago!" Iris protested in mock anger.

"Oooh, so you did sleep in!" Gale teased, nudging Storm's side. "Thought you could miss another apprentice ceremony, eh?"

"Oh my Denbar! That was only one other time!" Storm cried, but there was no real anger in her voice.

"Was not!" Iris scoffed. "I know you've missed several in all the months we've known each other!" then she proceeded to list three other times when Storm either took a really early or a really late breakfast and ended up missing the apprentice ceremony because of it.

Now, the woman didn't have an aversion to apprentices or ceremonies necessarily, she just didn't see the point in attending breakfast on those days because the rest of the dining hall had to be absolutely quiet so that names could be heard. This meant Storm couldn't talk to the two friends she had, which was the only reason she didn't just grab some food and hide back in her cabin in the first place. She only ate at the dining hall because of Gale and Tempest but, on apprentice ceremony days, she wasn't even able to talk with them. In her mind's eye, that meant that having a public breakfast had no real point on days when there were ceremonies to be had.

"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" Storm pretended to complain at Iris.

"Now Storm, you know that being lovers doesn't automatically make us twins or clones," Iris said in a patronizing voice. "We are still our own selves and have no obligation to totally submit to the other. Instead, it is our job as partners to refine and correct one another. We exist to improve one another, as iron sharpens iron. We do not exist to indulge in each other's delusions and overlook each other's flaws!"

"Spoken like a true romantic!" Tempest observed, applauding as Iris finished her little sermon and Iris pretended to bow a little.

"Jerk," Storm muttered as Iris ate up the applause Tempest and Gale were teasingly giving to her.

Admittedly, though, Iris did have a point. A true romance was not defined by how well the partners got along, but how well they completed and guided one another. It was not necessarily a game of fixing the other's flaws, but like Iris had said, a true partner would be there to help the other be their best self, even if that best self involved getting up at an early hour to attend a pointless little ceremony.

Besides, this "helping others to be their best selves" didn't just apply to Storm. Iris had some issues to work on too, and Storm was more than happy to remind her of them. So maybe Iris hadn't been the world's best girlfriend in the past and maybe she might've struggled here and there even now, but Storm was still another chance to try and to improve on mistakes she'd made before. Storm was a fresh start and a new heart and Iris was still just as giddy now as she was when they started dating three months ago. Storm saw Iris' little smile and understood what it meant at once and she couldn't help but smile back. There was a part of her still uncertain about this romance, but at the same time, she was enjoying it immensely and wouldn't have traded it for anything in all of Denbar…

Sometime during the quartet's conversation about love and romance, Captain stood up. The whole dining hall fell silent in response.

"Oh, here we go!" Storm whispered as Maxim handed him a list. Iris pretended to shush her and Storm rolled her eyes in reply. Then it began.

The ceremony passed easily enough, but then, at the very end, Iris was struck by a blast from the past and it took her breath away.

"Tempest Weathers, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have received excellent training from your former mentor and you have shown yourself to be compassionate and strong. You will be the mentor of Rusty Eves, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him!" Captain had said, reciting the same old ceremonial words he'd said about 20 ish times already and, as a small round of applause rippled through the dining hall, Tempest stood up in response.

She smiled politely and looked around the hall until her pale green eyes found her new apprentice. Rude as it was, she couldn't help but be stunned by what she saw. This man looked old enough to be her father! And sure, apprentices came in all ages, but to see one who looked so old and frail and unwell was shocking, and part of Tempest wondered if this wasn't a joke. Even if she wasn't put off by this man's age, she was put off by how physically unready he looked. But that thought that this might all be a joke died as quickly as it came. This wasn't something one could joke about. One could not joke about being an apprentice because government regulations on the process were taken very seriously, especially in war times. This was real. Her surprise, however, was nothing compared to Iris'.

When Iris had first heard the name, she thought she might've just misheard it, or that maybe she was mistaken somehow. But no, when she was able to reconcile with herself that Captain had, indeed, said "Rusty Eves", she knew at once that this was no joke or trick or hallucination. This was only confirmed by Rusty slowly rising to his feet to face his new mentor. The moment Iris took in the sight of him, she couldn't suppress a gasp. Yup. It was him. It was the man she considered an uncle. It was Clover's father. Impossible as it was, this was indeed the very same man that Iris thought he was. It was as certain as the fact that Iris' eyes were purple.

"Iris?" Storm's voice interrupted Iris' disbelieving thoughts as she continued to stare, mouth slightly agape, at Rusty. "Are you ok?" the blond had noticed Iris' sudden silence and her intense focus upon this Rusty Eves fellow and she couldn't help but remark upon it. "Do you know him? Is something wrong?" she continued to ask, but Iris was barely aware of it. She could hear words, but they meant nothing to her because she was too busy seeing streaks of orange and spots of dark blue. She was too busy seeing pale skin that burned in the sunlight and a thin, lanky frame that towered above her own.

Even after Rusty and Tempest had both sat down again, Iris was still lost in thought as she continued to stare in Rusty's direction, seeing everything and nothing as her memories whirled by.

"Hey. Is she alright?" Tempest and Gale both asked, finally noticing Iris' intense yet vacant look.

"I think she knows that man," Storm whispered back, equally confused and concerned. None of the three of them had ever met Rusty, and none of the three of them had been very close to Clover, so they had no clue as to why Iris seemed so fixated on this Rusty man. All they knew was that she could not stop staring at him with that same haunted expression.

"Maybe we should go over and talk to him," Tempest suggested after a moment. Normally, mentors left with their apprentices right before everyone else did, but there was still always a few minutes between the end of the apprentice ceremony and first departure. Tempest was suggesting that she, Iris and the others use those few minutes to go and talk to Rusty straight.

"Let's," Gale agreed, standing up. The others did likewise and Storm tapped Iris' shoulder gently. Although the girl still looked like she was in an entirely different world, she responded to the touch and stood up. Then she, with the others, walked towards Rusty.

"Rusty?" Iris asked the moment she was close enough for Rusty to hear her. The girl's purple eyes widened in dismay and further disbelief as she got to see Rusty up close. Even from far away, he had looked unnaturally thin and frail, but it was much more visible from up close. For starters, his namesake bright orange hair was now entirely gray from the stress of losing his beloved daughter and his skin was unhealthily pale and thin. It stretched out over bones startlingly visible to the naked eye. There were dark circles under his eyes and extra wrinkles everywhere else. When Rusty saw Iris, he stood up, but it was so slow and uncertain and even when in an upright position, the man was stooped. It broke Iris' heart. How he'd been approved to join the army was beyond her. But the moment Rusty finally realized who he was looking at, just for a moment, a real smile split his face and something like a youthful vigor surged through his entire being.

"Iris!" he exclaimed, and there was real warmth in his voice. Then, with a strength Iris had not expected, he picked her up and hugged her as tightly as he could. Iris could only hang limply in his arms until the realization of what was going on sank in, then her own excitement returned and she began to hug him back just as hard. For a moment, everything was perfect and they were just two old friends seeing each other again after far too long. It really was a blast from the past and it was a wonderful, bittersweet moment. Rusty swung Iris around with that strange and unexpected strength again and Iris laughed into his shoulder as though she were about 15 years younger.

The joy didn't last long, though, and Rusty set Iris down fairly quickly and the somber atmosphere returned.

"What are you doing here?" Iris demanded, heart still breaking for Rusty.

"What does it look like, sweetheart?" the old man asked in return with a pained smile.

"You can't be serious!" Iris insisted, a small sob rising up in her chest. Sweet Denbar, how she missed Clover!

"I am," Rusty replied calmly.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" Iris asked next.

"Back at home, looking after my place while I'm gone," Rusty answered.

"And they were ok with all this?" Iris gestured to Rusty's entire being.

"No, but they knew they couldn't stop me," Rusty gave the barest of grins and Iris could only shake her head in disbelief…

"Well, it looks like the two of you have a lot of catching up to do and I would be more than happy to give you all as much time as you need," Tempest spoke up suddenly. She could sense that this conversation was about to get personal and she didn't feel that she had the right to listen in on it. "Just come to the training forest when you're done," she requested. Iris nodded absentmindedly to her and Tempest proceeded to excuse herself, taking Storm and Gale as well. Gale looked unwilling to leave the conversation and Storm looked unwilling to leave Iris, but when Tempest shot them both a warning glare, they both listened and followed her out of the dining hall without another sound. This left Rusty and Iris as the only two people in the whole hall, the other mentors and apprentices having already excused themselves, the normal soldiers following after.

"What happened to you?" Iris whispered the moment they were entirely alone. Rusty gave a long, slow sigh, then he sat back down, gestured for Iris to do likewise, and then elaborated.

Following Clover's death, Rusty fell into a deep depression. For about three months, he barely did anything other than lie in bed. He didn't eat, bathe or even sleep. He just laid there. The only reason he didn't starve or dehydrate to death was because Mae and Lester practically moved in with him to look after him. At first, Rusty had hated them for this, wishing that they would just let him die so that he didn't have to live without his precious daughter, but after that last month ended, something in Rusty finally changed. It was a miniscule change, but sometimes one tiny spark was all that was needed to start a wildfire. After those three months in total shutdown, Rusty slowly but surely worked his way back up. It was a painful process, but with Lester and Mae stubbornly at his side, he managed to recover enough to look after himself. He was impossibly pale and thin, practically on death's door himself, but he forced himself to eat, sleep and bathe. He was forcing himself to live again. He may not have wanted to, but he convinced himself to look after his own body the way one might look after a house or car. If he no longer felt naturally obliged to eat, bathe or sleep, then he could make himself a checklist and do it that way. It wasn't exactly the most moralizing way of self-care, but if it worked, it worked. This was a relief to Mae and Lester, who continued to help him through this nightmarish time in his life.

At the end of the second three months, however, Rusty explained the true reason he'd suddenly been so determined to get better. It had been from a random thought, an arbitrary epiphany, that struck him one night during his deep depression. He suddenly got the wild idea to join the army to honor Clover and as impossible as it seemed, the idea never left Rusty's head.

That was the only reason he started getting out of bed. It was so he could rebuild his physical strength so that he could join the army. It was a crazy goal, but it gave him a reason to live, something to strive for. So, every day for the past few months, he had trained himself up and ate an incredibly healthy diet. He was still pretty weak, but he was able to bulk himself up just enough to pass army requirements and place in the Army Recruitment Test. He wasn't as weak as he looked, as Iris had found out when he proved capable of still picking her up and swinging her around a bit. In addition, like Iris, he'd placed into Camp Heath. He hadn't tied with Camp Greene the way Clover had. But this was fine with Rusty because it meant he would be with Iris again, which was something he did want. He wanted to look after her, his surviving child, as he saw it.

So, once Rusty had his results, he packed and got ready to go.

"Where are you going?" Mae had asked, seeing the suitcases. Rusty had not told Mae or Lester about his army plans, letting them instead believe he was only taking care of himself just for the sake of taking care of himself. They had not known he had an additional goal in mind.

"To the army," Rusty replied calmly. Both Mae and Lester looked at him worriedly, thinking he was slipping back into delirium, but when Rusty was able to produce the necessary proof, the Longs were forced to admit that Rusty wasn't going mad.

"You can't be serious, though!" Lester cried worriedly. He wasn't trying to be cruel, but he doubted Rusty's ability to handle the army.

"I am," Rusty had insisted, refusing to be swayed in his decision. The two Longs then proceeded to try and get Rusty to stay with them on the home front, insisting that if he really wanted to help the war cause, he could just as easily do so from home. Rusty, however, was not just interested in serving the cause. He wanted to be in a specific place when he served: the front lines. Sure, the work behind the scenes was just as important, but it no longer felt like home to Rusty. So now he was packing his bags, and there was nothing the Longs could do to stop him.

"Just promise us you'll look after Iris!" Mae pleaded when she saw that Rusty was going to go to the army whether she liked it or not.

"Of course," the old man replied, glad that they weren't trying to get him to stay anymore. It had been tiring, arguing with them, though he knew that they had meant well when they begged him to stay.

"And promise us you'll look after yourself too!" Lester insisted before taking the man into an affectionate hug. Rusty returned it, burying his face in Lester's chest just one last time. But then the two broke apart after that and, after exchanging a hug with Mae as well, Rusty departed from his home, leaving Mae and Lester to wave farewell from the doorway. It was a sorrowful goodbye, but nothing would change Rusty's mind and the Longs were forced to watch him go the same way they'd watched their daughter and her friend go just over a year ago.

So now here Rusty stood, about 24 hours later. He'd ridden over, taken the tour and got a mentor.

"Wow," Iris' purple eyes shone with unshed tears. She could hardly imagine how broken Rusty must've been to think that this was the best way to honor his fallen daughter. Sure, Iris herself had felt the same way Rusty had when Clover died, but joining the army was just such a huge jump for someone as meek and mild as Rusty.

"Yeah," Rusty replied tiredly. He knew he looked bad and, to be honest, he didn't feel too good either, but he felt like enough. For the first time in a long time, he felt like enough. He felt just strong enough to hold down this job and he finally felt like he was doing some real good, both for Clover and for Iris. Being here, with Iris, after so long, felt surprisingly good. The man opened his arms for another hug and Iris willingly went into it.

Although Iris' first perception of Rusty had not been good, Rusty's first perception of Iris had been a bit better. He could still see marks of grief in the way she looked and acted, especially around him, but she was doing very well, it seemed. He could see marks where she'd smiled and laughed and they were deep and recent. She looked physically fit and healthy, still tiny, but quite muscled. She seemed happy and coherent and he could feel her muscles as they hugged. He could feel something standing between her skin and bones and she felt physically tough, like it would take a lot of effort to break her in half despite her diminutive stature. That knowledge that Iris was taking care of herself made Rusty feel immensely satisfied. Enough so for him to suggest that they get started on training. They still had much to talk about, especially regarding Clover and their intertwined pasts and futures, but as for now, Rusty did technically have a job to do and he didn't want to waste anymore time getting to it. For the first time in a long time, Rusty felt ready to start living, and he didn't want to keep his life waiting any longer!

"Shall we find Tempest?" Rusty asked.

"Sure," Iris replied, pulling a small smile as she stood up, offering an arm to Rusty. He smiled back and took it and the two finally exited the dining hall together, arm in arm, headed to the training forest. A new life was beginning now, who could say how it would end? One could hope, but only time would tell, but both Iris and Rusty were feeling quite hopeful…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry for that long, long hiatus, but I had just lost interest in this story. The interest is slowly returning and I'm hoping that it'll stay just long enough for me to post this third and final section of the story. It is my intent to update as often as can, which will result in very sporadic updates (sometimes it'll be one a day, sometimes it could reach multiple a day, some days I might not post at all. We'll see). But as no one seemed too put off by my long hiatus, I am not too concerned with what you may think of me or my less-than-stellar updating.
> 
> Also, happy Queer History month and happy late (by exactly 10 days) National Coming Out Day. Even if you, yourself, did not come out, I still hope you had a gay day! (In both senses of the word, of course. I know I did. IU Bloomington has a massive queer community and I LOVE it). 
> 
> Also, also, if you noticed the title change, it's because the old one sounded far too lame and cringey. I like "Seeing Purple" more, even if it seems more cliché.


	43. Hopeless

Unfortunately, those feelings of hopefulness did not last. It became painfully and quickly clear that, despite Rusty's best efforts and positive attitude, he was entirely hopeless when it came to army life. He might've passed the tests, but he still wasn't very good at actually living the lifestyle. He was slow, shy, clumsy, hesitant and completely in the dark about all things war-related. Sure, being in the army was not like being in history class and no one ever knew all there was to know about the army, but at the same time, every recruit was expected to know at least a little bit about war on a theoretical level. Rusty lacked all of that foreknowledge. Even the newest of recruits knew more than he did about war.

He really didn't know much about the history of Denbar's army or the way it operated on a technical and strategically level at all. And he was woefully unable to name basic things like weapons, armor and battle moves. And performing them?! Forget it. The man could barely hold a sword correctly, let alone actually use it for fighting. Once again, he was slow and clumsy. He was bad at running, he was bad at hiding, he was bad at fighting, he was bad at climbing, he had no sense of balance or agility. He was just a mess all around. He couldn't even stand up straight when in armor and was unable to name anything aside from the helmet. He also kept dropping his sword every time he tried to sheath it.

"Oh my Denbar," Iris moaned into her hands as she watched Rusty nearly fall from the same tree for about the third time in 10 seconds. As much as she loved Rusty, this was just embarrassing. "He's hopeless!" she continued to lament. A small part of her wondered if she couldn't send him back home. Perhaps it was cruel of Iris to think about such a thing, but Rusty was so bad that even Iris was beginning to wonder if it wasn't a good idea to get him out of here. And it wouldn't just be for his own good either. All the rest of camp had long-since lost their patience with the old man and he would pose a real threat to them, should he ever join them on a mission. If Rusty was gone, everyone would be happier and safer.

Only Gale had some level of patience left because even Tempest had almost quit being his mentor. But the only reason Gale was so patient with Rusty was because Gale had always been excellent with children and even though Rusty was no child, Gale was trying to teach him the way he might teach a child. It still wasn't very helpful, but at least it kept Rusty in one piece. Gale had always just had quite an endless source of patience, temperance, kindness and compassion, even when everyone else had been pushed to their limits. He was the only one who still didn't mind trying to teach Rusty how to be a soldier. He was the only one able to tolerate more than two months of this.

"Ooops! Sorry!" Rusty cried as he tripped into Gale as they moved from branch to branch while 20 feet above ground. Tempest was watching and it looked like she was trying real hard not to slam her head into that very tree as hard as she could. Iris knew exactly how she felt, suffering from the worst secondhand embarrassment she'd ever felt in her life as she watched Rusty continue to trip his way through the leaves. He was still totally unable to name any kind of stealth move or piece of equipment used to aid in those moves. It was painful. Honestly, the only person who seemed even a little ok with this lack of progress was Storm, but that was only because she found it amusing.

"Oh! Rusty actually made it up into the trees today!" she mocked. "Or did something scare him up there and now he's stuck?"

"Oh, leave it alone!" Iris grunted. She may have agreed with Storm, but she still didn't like hearing the blond speak out against her old friend. Unfortunately, this rivalry between Storm and Rusty was the reason Storm was getting such a kick out of all of this. The rivalry really had no reason to exist, but it did. Rusty saw Storm as a savage, heartless, mindless monster and Storm saw Rusty as a brainless, hopeless loser who would be better off back hidden under the covers of his bed. At least there, he couldn't cause any trouble or piss anyone off with his total ineptitude.

The mutual dislike and disdain started the rivalry and led to Rusty constantly frowning upon Storm and whispering to Iris about what a bad person she was and it led to Storm constantly laughing at Rusty and scorning how pathetic he was. But their talking behind each other's backs wasn't where the rivalry ended. On the contrary, even though this started the fire, Iris was the fuel to it. Without meaning to, Iris became a central topic between Rusty and Storm. As far as Rusty was concerned, Storm wasn't fit to court Iris. She was far too wild and cruel and Rusty had told the blond, time and time again, that pretty much any other woman in camp would be a better match for Iris than her.

This, naturally, enraged Storm and she came back with painful retorts, insisting that she was better for Iris than Rusty. Rusty wasn't her father, so he had no claim in her life. She also reminded him that it hadn't been him helping Iris cope with the loss of Clover. It hadn't been him who saved Iris' life on the Westside Cliffs that dark and fateful night. It hadn't been him who Iris risked her life to save. But that last part was part of the reason Rusty didn't approve of Storm. He had to admit that Storm's other two points were valid, but the fact that Storm made Iris inclined to do risky things was the biggest reason Rusty had an issue with the blond. Rusty didn't want Iris dating someone who drew her into danger. He wanted her dating someone who would keep her safe. Rusty didn't trust Storm, especially not with Iris.

Storm understood Rusty's concern for Iris' safety, but she found his insistence that Iris would be better off with someone else to be rude and controlling. She held no respect for the man anyway, so his words meant nothing to her. She didn't believe in that foolish notion of deserving someone. Sure, maybe an individual might be a better match for a person, but all of this, "you aren't good enough to deserve her because you are a monster" was a load of crap, in Storm's mind. She felt that she deserved Iris' love not because of anything either of them had done, but because both of them held a mutual respect and affection for one another and had agreed upon trying to be lovers. Storm deserved to be Iris' girlfriend not because of action, but because of intention and agreement. She was trying to be good and both she and Iris had entered this relationship together. Willingly. That should've been enough. She wasn't going to be scared or guilted away from Iris by some stupid imaginary standard found in teenage romance novels and given to her by some rusty old man.

In short, Rusty and Storm both hated each other, and Iris was stuck right in the crossfire. Even when the two were unable to argue directly, they were still constantly going at it. Storm continued to stare up at Rusty in disdain and amusement.

"He's hopeless!" she declared as he and the branch upon which he stood trembled.

"Leave it alone," Iris repeated, though she had to agree. Gale was trying to steady him now so he didn't fall and kill himself.

"Aww, what's the matter? You know it's true! He sucks at everything war-related!" Storm insisted, but when Iris continued to frown with genuine irritation, Storm decided to change the game a bit.

"If it makes you feel better, there was one apprentice I once knew who was even more hopeless than Rusty," she said.

"Really? Who?" asked Iris, anger finally fading into genuine curiosity. As much as she hated to admit it, Rusty really was very hopeless. Who in Denbar had Storm known that would top Rusty? The man didn't even know how to get dressed in the morning. Apparently, their uniforms were too complicated! (They really weren't, Rusty was just bad at everything).

"Yeah, it was just some girl," Storm shrugged. "Her name was Iris Long…"

"You jerk!" Iris whined as she realized that she had been set up. Storm only laughed.

"You walked right into that one!" she cried.

"I guess I did," Iris admitted, but she was still cringing a little.

"Alright, come on," Storm said finally once the last of her laughter had subsided. She gestured away from Tempest, Gale and Rusty.

"What? Where?" asked Iris. What else did her girlfriend have in store?

"Let's just go," Storm repeated. "Let's just leave Rusty to train for now. How about you and I go for a run? Just the two of us."

"That sounds great!" Iris sighed wistfully.

"Then let's go," Storm insisted again and Iris finally gave in. As bad as she felt for just jumping ship, Iris wouldn't miss a chance to spend some alone-time with Storm. Besides, Rusty was probably going to be just as pathetic when Iris got back. She wasn't going to miss much.

"See ya, Gale! See ya, Tempest!" Storm taunted as she and Iris took off, sprinting past the other two soldiers, leaving them to babysit the man-child that was Rusty Eves. Tempest shot Storm a death glare that Storm only laughed at. Gale, however, was totally fine with them leaving.

"Have fun!" he shouted down from the tree where he and Rusty were still trying to maneuver around from. Rusty tried to look down to bid Iris a farewell, but doing so nearly caused him to lose balance, so he was forced, once again, to hold on tightly to Gale's muscled arms.

"Loser," Storm muttered, hearing him yelp and guessing that he had nearly fallen again. Iris heard her say this, but made no reply, choosing instead to run faster and faster, farther and farther. Storm caught up quickly and, suddenly, Tempest, Gale and Rusty were gone. It was only Storm and Iris, racing side by side through the wild training forest of Camp Heath. It was a paradise.

But all good things must come to an end. Storm and Iris returned from their impromptu run close to dinner. Tempest was busy scowling while Gale was trying to bind some of Rusty's newest wounds, which had come from falling down the last few feet of the tree he was on. Poor, typical Rusty. He wasn't going to get any better at this soldier job, was he? Iris wanted to feel bad for him, truly, but he was far too hopeless for her to care anymore. All she could do was hope that he wouldn't accidently get himself killed before the six months were up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Pointless filler, and Rusty is just like me any time I'm presented with a physical task or organized sport.


	44. The Summons

In time, however, Rusty finally started improving. He was still terrible at all things combat-related, but someone had finally found him a position in the army in which he was actually able to perform with basic competence. That job was acting as a camp cook and janitor. It wasn't exactly the most exalted of positions and certainly wasn't what Rusty had in mind when he signed up, but it was about the only role he functioned in. Everything else, from arms to armor, and from battle to diplomacy, and from away to domestic missions, were all busts. Being a cook was all he was good at, embarrassing as that was. But by this point, people were just glad to see Rusty being able to go more than five minutes without messing something up to care. Better back in the kitchens than out on the frontlines.

But in time, Rusty actually began to enjoy his job. It might not have been his first choice, nor was it the most exalted, but it actually could be quite fun, and he finally began to understand just how many components there were to army life. It wasn't all swords and soldiers. There was a lot of background work to be done as well and it was only ever a mistake to underestimate any one army remember based on job alone. Every job was necessary, hence why it was a job. From cook to soldier to armorer to janitor, everyone had a role to play and everyone mattered.

Rusty began to see that as the longer he spent cooking or cleaning and he truly began to appreciate all of this underrated work and all of the loyal workers who performed it. He held those in lower jobs with more respect and started to raise awareness that even the scummiest of jobs had to be done and it was wrong to disparage against those who ended up with those jobs. Sure, they were awful jobs, but they were necessary. Instead, those willing to do that low-level work ought to be thanked for taking the bullet so that the rest of the world didn't have to. And besides, some people did actually enjoy the "bad jobs". Rusty had come to enjoy cooking and cleaning more than he ever thought he would. It honestly made him happy to be able to feed people because there was a sense of care-taking that came with that action, a feeling Rusty very much enjoyed.

"Look at him, becoming a little public speaker," Tempest had remarked one day as Rusty was busy talking with some of the younger soldiers about the value of menial labor and the importance of respect for anyone of any job status. Those youngster had been making fun of the concept of janitorial work and Rusty was reminding them, with expert politeness and eloquence, that such jobs were vital and the skills that came with such jobs, like hard work and respect, were useful anywhere. To Rusty, equality meant equality meant equality. No equivocations or exceptions. It was all or none. One either respected everyone equally, or they didn't. There was no "some are more equal than others".

"I'm so happy for him," Gale agreed proudly, watching Rusty right alongside Tempest. The man was, at the moment, segueing into reminding the young soldiers that the cooks provided the food needed to keep the soldiers alive and fit, so, a cook could not be underestimated in value. The speech was, along with eloquent, quite sweet and kind.

"I know, right?" Iris agreed, sauntering up behind the Weathers. "He's much happier in the kitchen anyway."

"Yeah, he'll be great there," Tempest agreed. She still felt bad for not completing Rusty's training (they parted ways the day he was moved from combat training), but she had to admit that things had been better on everyone ever since Rusty transferred away from her. He was much happier, for one, and he was actually successfully performing tasks for another. In addition, even his little rivalry with Storm had decreased, though Iris personally suspected that it was because there was only so much two people could fight about before things would cool off naturally. And of course, with Rusty in the kitchens and Storm on the frontlines, they didn't get to see each other nearly as often anyway.

Iris was not able to stick around for long to celebrate Rusty's little promotion, however, because only a couple weeks after that little event, the purple-eyed soldier received a summons. From Grau.

"What the heck?" Iris felt that similar sense of worry fill her being as she discovered the summons because although receiving summons and letters were far from uncommon, receiving them in the form of a letter under a person's bed sheets was a bit much. Seriously, how did this guy even get that letter here? Venderwarp was dead. Grau had lost his teleporter. Unless he had some new Gifted buddies, his ability to hide letters under bed covers should be impossible, but no, here that little summons was.

As Iris picked up the little letter, she tried to remember all the Gifted still around. The only ones she knew of were Vesper, who was still in jail, Grau himself, Kit and Wilde. Kit had mentioned that there about one or two in Camp Reed, but Iris had yet to meet them. She was also pretty sure she was the only Gifted in Camp Heath and she had no idea how many might be in Denbar, but she figured that such a point was moot. If they were still in Denbar, they were too young to be in the army anyway. But all of this was only pure speculation. The summons in her hand was not.

The next morning, Iris shoved off, unable to ignore the summons despite her reserves about it. She'd already spoken to Captain about it and although he seemed just as wary as she felt, he said pretty much the same thing she'd already decided upon doing: to go. So, with Captain's consent, Iris was going to heed Grau's mysterious summons.

"Do you have any idea when you'll be back?" Storm asked. Despite her expressionless face, Iris could sense tension radiating off of her and Iris understood why. Their last trip to Camp Steuben hadn't exactly been good. She understood that Storm was reluctant to allow Iris to go back to Camp Steuben, especially alone. But at the same time, she wasn't going to stop the tiny brunette if she chose to heed the summons.

"None at all," Iris smiled grimly.

"You really think this is a good idea?" Storm pressed with a wary expression.

"Not at all," Iris continued to smile grimly.

"But you're still going to go," it wasn't a question.

"Yup," Iris nodded.

"Then knock 'em dead," Storm encouraged. Iris smiled up at her and quickly kissed her. Before she could pull entirely away, however, Storm pulled Iris back in for a deeper kiss. Iris was blushing hotly by the time Storm finally let her go.

"Wow…" she murmured after the kiss.

"You're gonna have to come back eventually if you want more of that," Storm teased.

"Don't worry," Iris replied. "I will," then she bade Storm one last farewell before leaving. She'd already said farewell to Rusty, Tempest and Gale and their farewells had been similar, she just wanted her very last goodbye to be in private with Storm, just for that kiss. Iris' lips and face tingled pleasurably even after her subway cart had zoomed down its Steuben-bound track. Storm watched her go even after she was out of sight, already silently asking the girl to come home to her soon. She didn't trust Grau at all, but she trusted Iris and that would have to be enough.

In time, Iris arrived at Camp Steuben. She left the subway and walked up the stairs to the surface world. That all-too-familiar iron gateway greeted her and she smiled grimly.

"I see you haven't changed much in the year I've been gone," she murmured to it as she walked in. All the rest of the camp looked the same too, minus one large detail. If one was standing at the iron gate, facing straight ahead, there used to be a large mountain in the distance. That mountain had served as Venderwarp's main secret base of operation, where he and the rebels had hid and trained, but it was no longer there. According to the stories, it had been blown up to kill some Noctifers that had tried invading. Iris believed it. Now, there was only flat and empty land facing the east. But aside from that strange gap in the land, everything else was the same. All the little stone and iron buildings were still there, the ground was still in one large and endless piece, barren of everything but a few distant hills and the occasional shrub. Nothing much had changed.

"Ah! Iris! Right on time!" Grau declared as Iris moved through the peaceful, quiet camp.

"Whoa! Where did you come from!?" the tiny brunette demanded, jumping with fright.

"This is my camp," Grau replied with a dark laugh. "I belong here."

"Yeah, but… actually, never mind," Iris sighed. She wasn't in the mood for his games. "What was the summons for?"

"Training, of course!" Grau replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Training?" Iris echoed. She had expected Grau to send her off on some mission. Was he really just calling her in for more basic Gift training? She'd been practicing at home, so this seemed unnecessary.

"Yeah, you and the other Gifted need to start really cracking down on your Gifts and training," Grau replied.

"But why?" asked Iris. "Why all the sudden 'drill sergeant' thing?"

"Because it's high time you met each other," Grau replied. Iris was a little leery about that vague reply, but she had to admit that it would be nice to finally have all of the Gifted in one place.

"So, where is everyone then?" Iris asked. She still had a lot of questions left, but she was going to swallow them for now and just wait and watch. Better to observe and collect info before asking too many questions. Especially when the only one with an answer was Grau. She might end up making assumptions and jumping to conclusions too quickly. She still didn't understand where the random summons had come from and she had a feeling that there was more to all of this than what Grau was saying, but that was Grau for you. It didn't really surprise her anymore. It just alerted her to the fact that she had best keep her purple eyes open. Grau would probably tell them eventually why they were all assembling, but if Iris wanted answers sooner, she'd have to stay awake and try and piece together the answer alone. Only time would tell.

Grau ended up leading Iris back into his little office on the south side of the camp. Once inside, he revealed that, in the wall behind his desk, was a secret door. Opening that door led to a massive underground chamber, brightly lit and empty and clean.

"This is a secret area for the Gifted," Grau said as he led Iris along the hallway. The place seemed huge! Even Camp Reed didn't have anything this long underground. Camp Reed's underground structures were tall and thin, underground sky-scrapers almost. Camp Steuben's were wide and short.

At last, the couple reached the very end of the underground hall.

"And this, more specifically, is something of a lounge," Grau said, then he pushed open the door. Iris didn't recognize anyone else in the room, but there were five Gifted already inside, resting on chairs and pillow strewn about the little room.

"Hey, Iris!" they greeted, looking up from where they'd been resting.

"Hello," Iris replied, somewhat creeped out that they already knew her even though she didn't know them.

"I told them you'd be coming today," Grau whispered to her, explaining how they'd already known her.

"Great," Iris forced herself to smile. "What do I do now?"

"Well, I'm going to give you a bit of time to get to know your future comrades, then we'll start training," Grau said. "You have 10 minutes," then he left the room without another word, shutting the door behind himself, leaving Iris alone with these five new Gifted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Just go to the next chapter. I've got nothing, except to say that an old face will be returning, along with four new ones.


	45. New Friends

"Soooo," the tiny brunette began awkwardly. "Shall we maybe start with names, camps and Gifts and how did you get the summons from Grau?" she trailed off. Normally, Iris loved the idea of making new friends, especially if those new friends were Gifted, but in a case like this, she had suddenly become very shy and a little scared. She couldn't even look any of them in their oddly-colored eyes to indicate whom she wanted to go first, instead becoming unnaturally interested in the black carpet floor.

At last, however, someone spoke up. He was a handsome young man who looked only a bit younger than Storm. He was lithe, muscled and average height. He had silky, floppy black hair in a clean cut, the edges right above copper-colored eyes. He was very pretty.

"I'll start," he said, voice very smooth and almost pitying. He could sense Iris' nervousness, they all could. "My name is Rexus Alreth, and I'm from Camp Reed," he introduced. Iris, somewhat reassured by the gentleness and friendliness in his voice, finally dared to look up and copper met purple. In the back of her mind, Iris realized that this must've been one of the guys Kit had talked about.

"And your Gift and summons?" Iris asked after a moment.

"I'll start with the summons first, it's not as fun as my Gift," Rexus decided. "I just got a letter from Grau and then rode over here. Simple as that," the copper-eyed man even shrugged to indicate how mundane the summons had been. Iris briefly wondered, though, if the letter had appeared upon his pillow and, if so, how the heck Grau had gotten it there. But Rexus continued on before Iris could wonder too much longer. "In regard to my Gift?" he asked. "Well..." Rexus' eyes glowed copper and then suddenly, there were nine other Rexuses in the room. Cloning. Iris couldn't suppress a gasp of surprise that everyone else snickered at.

After Rexus was done showing off his clones, however, he deactivated his powers until only he, the original, remained. Next to go was someone maybe a couple decades older than Iris. Younger than Captain, but older than Storm, Tempest or Gale.

"I'm Jalux Trusk," the new Gifted greeted. "I'm from Camp Reed too, and if you don't mind, it's xe/xyr pronouns," xe bowed as xe said this and Iris nodded in reply, making a mental note. At the same time, she inspected Jalux closely. Xe had dark skin and xyr hair was in dreadlocks each with gold bands either around the middle or the tip. Additionally, Jalux wore a relatively relaxed expression and wore a simple white tee and baggy jeans. Obviously, Jalux wasn't someone who was easy ruffled. This calmed Iris down some as well, but that still didn't answer all her questions…

"And as for my Gift?" Jalux asked, then xyr eyes, which had seemed beige before, glowed into a soft brown-gold, a slightly darker shade than Kit's. At the same time, xyr arms began to stretch.

"Bodily elasticity?" Iris couldn't help but laugh in amazement and amusement as Jalux's limbs finally hit three fit both ways.

"To some extent," xe replied, slowly then, xyr arms began to recede back to a more normal proportion.

"Can't you do the same with your legs?" Iris asked as xyr arms shrunk back down.

"I can," Jalux promised. "But keep in mind that the ceiling in here is low," xe looked up and Iris remembered, ah yes, underground bunker. The entire room was barely seven feet tall.

Then, the next introduction came from a woman so beautiful that Iris couldn't help but suddenly blush and turn away. She always got this way around attractive people. She became shy, scared, unsure and insecure, barely unable to look or speak to the person in question. This woman, however, made Iris feel uncomfortable to even just exist within her presence. The tiny brunette was more than willing to bet her life that this woman here was the most beautiful in all of Denbar and that everyone else would agree. Although beauty was subjective, there was still typically a general consensus in society and this woman hit all of those points perfectly. She was stunning, radiant, magnificent! And Iris' face reddened as she tried desperately to not look too stupid, though her amazement was painfully obvious.

The woman was average-sized, healthily proportioned. She was fit and happy. Everything appeared to be in fine working order. Her skin looked as smooth, soft and clean as satin and there was a light dusting of freckles across her face and upper shoulders. She also had several beauty and birthmarks on her face and limbs. Her hair and eyes were impossibly black, like a void or a starless sky at midnight. Her hair, the same color as her eyes, barely reached her shoulders and was in a slight bob, tips curled forward.

What was even more gorgeous than her skin or her features or the marks that dotted them both, however, was her expression. She was smiling and it was just so warm and inviting that Iris already felt as though this woman was an old friend, despite them having only just met like three seconds ago. She radiated such friendless, curiosity, openness and excitement that Iris was reminded of a cute little puppy exploring the world for the first time and meeting new friends everywhere it turned. Iris could already tell that this was one amazing and happy woman who had nearly no enemies anywhere. She just looked far too open and kind to hate or be hated.

"I'm Scarlet Black!" the woman offered to shake hands. Her voice was soft and sweet, gentle and high-pitched with a slight twang to it.

"Iris Long," Iris shook Scarlet's hand, shivering in pleasure under the warmth and softness.

"I know," Scarlet said. "Grau told us all about you before you came."

"Oh, right, I forgot," Iris grinned embarrassedly.

"That's alright," Scarlet shrugged sweetly with a warm smile. That one little movement was so graceful and beautiful that a strange part of Iris honestly wanted to ask her to shrug again just so she could see it again.

"How about you, though?" Iris asked, then cursing herself for how stupid that question sounded.

"Well, I'm from here, so that should tell you how I got the memo," she giggled, an adorable sound. "And my Gift? Well…"

Scarlet's look suddenly became mischievous and, strange as it sounded, her eyes began to glow. Even though they were pitch black, Iris could somehow sense that her Gift was on… Slowly but surely, Iris felt her mind haze over and she was lost in a pleasant fog. She was barely aware of it at first, but suddenly, it occurred to her that she was dancing. What? No, really! Iris looked down and her feet were moving in a very fast tango. What? Suddenly, her arms were over her head, twirling through the air and even though her mind was kind of aware of the dance and she intrinsically knew what to do next, she didn't remember when she started dancing. It was like she was only half in control of her body. She was dancing, but she didn't know how or why…

"Mind control!" Iris exclaimed the moment the fog lifted.

"Mmm hmm!" Scarlet hummed happily. "You are a lovely dancer!"

"Well, that was only thanks to you. I have two left feet. Actually, no. I don't have any feet!" Iris stuttered, thinking about every horrible moment wherein she'd had to dance. Whether it was waltzing or dropping low or casual dancing or intentionally trying to look like a moron, Iris absolutely could not dance. That tango had so not been within her skill set. But that was what made Scarlet's Gift all the more terrifying. Somehow, she'd been able to rewire Iris' head such that it rewired her feet and she was able to pull off that tango flawlessly.

"Oh, you are just so cute!" Scarlet tilted her head as Iris stuttered and blushed up at her. "You're just like a little doll…" the woman trailed off, then she clapped. "That's it! I'll call you Dolly!"

"Oh, sweet merciful Denbar!" the girl beside Scarlet muttered. Scarlet ignored her and continued to coo over calling Iris 'Dolly'.

"It's such an adorable and fitting little name, isn't it?" she continued happily. Iris, meanwhile, had not missed the one dissenter.

"What's wrong with that?" Iris she asked, some of the warmth Scarlet had left her turning cold with anger.

"Scarlet gives literally everyone a nickname!" the girl complained.

"And why is that so wrong?" Iris already felt a dislike for this girl that only grew because of how mean she was being about sweet old Scarlet.

"It's not wrong, just annoying," the girl replied, then she stood up while Scarlet sat down. Scarlet seemed entirely unbothered by this girl's hostility.

"And you are?" Iris asked testily as the girl took a few steps over to her.

"Emerald Wells," she replied harshly.

"I wonder why," Iris couldn't mask a sarcastic laugh. Emerald had bright green hair and eyes. She wore baggy black pants and a white tank top and a scowl. She looked aggressive and prideful. Even though she was barely bigger than Iris, Iris could tell that she had a giant personality.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Emerald growled. "I'm from here too, mouse, and don't you forget that! I'm one of Grau's favorites!" she bragged.

"Do tell. What in Denbar is your power?" Iris grumbled. Emerald, meanwhile, grinned wickedly.

"Oh, no, no! Absolutely not!" Scarlet finally intervened, touching Emerald's shoulder as her bright green eyes glowed even brighter still.

"Aww, what? No fair!" Emerald pouted like a child, but her eyes dimmed, if only marginally.

"Why? What was her Gift?" Iris demanded crossly, having quite wanted to find an excuse to make another jab at the green-haired, green-eyed girl.

"Disease," Scarlet replied grimly. "Through thought or breath, Emerald can expel multiple types of diseases from herself. I doubt you want any of that stuff in your system," the woman finally removed her hand from Emerald's shoulder and Emerald hissed a little, but her eyes remained neutral.

"What kind of diseases?" Iris asked, momentarily forgetting her dislike of Emerald in favor of asking this question.

"Any kind you like! The index is always expanding," Emerald's wicked grin returned, but her eyes did not glow any brighter. "I've got slow burning stuff, fast stuff, painful stuff, silent stuff, deadly stuff, just very unpleasant stuff. The whole deal!" she looked very smug and Iris was, for that moment, glad that Scarlet had stopped Emerald's demonstration. Iris was certain that Scarlet's eyes were "glowing". Was she controlling Emerald into not using her Gift? Man, Camp Steuben had some creepy Gifted.

Speaking of which, it was time for the last Gifted. This particular one was wearing a long black cloak just like Grau's, so Iris couldn't see any distinguishing features at all. At least not until the figure raised a pale hand to lower the big black hood.

"Vesper Sprite?!" Iris squeaked. Sure enough, it was. The same wild hair of multiple shades of blond, the same slightly unhinged grin, the same freckled skin. Everything was the same! Man, Camp Steuben had some creepy Gifted!

"The one and only!" Vesper replied. Even her voice was as nasally and high-pitched as before. Iris was willing to bet she still laughed at nearly everything life had to offer in that same shrill, obnoxious howl. Though, admittedly, Vesper did look a bit cleaner than when she last was with Iris, hair a bit more tamed and psychotic smile a bit more sane.

"But weren't you arrested?" Iris asked weakly as Vesper continued to grin wickedly down at her.

"You'd be amazed what Grau can do," Vesper replied mysteriously. Iris made a noise of uncertainty.

"She's an ally now, so you'd better get over it," Emerald grunted from behind Vesper. Iris nodded slowly, too stunned by Vesper's return to process the fact that Emerald had just insulted her again.

Well, wasn't this an awkward band of new friends that Iris had? So, there was a guy that could clone himself nine times over, someone who could stretch xyr limbs, a sweetheart of a woman with mind control powers, an angry little punk with the ability to control various types of disease, and then an ex-criminal who had been arrested for treason against the army and she could manipulate light. Oh! And then there was still Iris herself. This tiny mouse of a girl with the power to decay things at will, living or non. This would be an interesting training time. Iris still had no clue what Grau had in store for them exactly, but she was sure she was about to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Yup, Vesper's back. And we got four new friends: Rexus, Jalux, Scarlet and Emerald. What a merry band, right?


	46. Weapon of Mass Destruction

Once the 10 minutes had passed, Grau made good on his word to bring everyone out and tell them why he had summoned them here.

"I don't want you repeating this to anyone else but, as rumors and whispers state, we may have finally found a plan that can end the war," Grau began, aged voice soft but resonant. All at once, all the other Gifted began to murmur in wonder and excitement, but Grau raised a withered hand for silence. Everyone fell totally silent in just one split second. The old man smiled under his hood at this perfect obedience and then continued. "Like I said, they are only rumors, but even so, I am feeling good about them. I still cannot guarantee how long it will take for us to engage in the last battle, but since I am feeling good, I think it best that we start preparing now as opposed to waiting."

"Preparing for what?" Jalux interrupted. "If you still don't know when Denbar might be ready to launch some big, finishing move, what's the point in calling us ahead of time? It could still be years before any progress is made!" xyr words were grim, but true. If Grau really didn't know for certain what the final plan was, this whole 'rallying the troops in preparation' might be a bit too much. Especially if the war might still have years on it, as opposed months, or even weeks. Sure, it never hurt to be ready, but everyone could already tell that Grau was going to be putting them through some incredibly intense stuff and, if it was too soon, there was no point in it.

"Excellent question, Trusk," Grau said. "And I must admit that you are probably right. I would wager we still have a couple years left until anything major can change. But at the same time, it is never too early to start preparing. Besides, in the grand scheme of things, a couple years isn't very long at all," Grau paused to chuckle darkly. "What I am referring to, of course, is the fact that this war has already been going on for about 14 and a half years already and the last Noctifer War was a grand total of 30!"

"But what is this great plan that you have in store?" Scarlet asked in confusion. "You made it sound like we were to help you. What is it?"

"Not I," Grau said. "But a close friend is the one who is in charge of this little plan. That friend intends to build some sort of weapon of mass destruction and is trying to figure out what the Noctifers are weakest to and then convert it into ammunition so that we might finally be able to make an advancement upon their lair. The weapon's main function would be to annihilate the Noctifer Nest and anything living inside of it. The rest, which is what we foot soldiers will handle, will be no more than cleaning up the mess and killing anything left alive in the rubble."

"Do you have any details on how it's coming?" Emerald and Rexus both asked in unison, copper and green glittering with interest at the idea of a weapon of mass destruction so powerful that it could level the entire mountain of a nest that the Noctifers were living in.

"None that I can spare, unfortunately," Grau's face was, as always, hidden behind his large black hood, but everyone could still hear the wry smile in his voice. It was evident that he wasn't lying and that he found it both amusing and frustrating how quiet the weapon-maker was being with him. It was poetic justice for how very secretive he was. He supposed he was getting a taste of his own dramatic medicine now.

"Do you even know who made the proposal?" asked Iris.

"That I do know," Grau replied. "But confidentiality was requested, and I thought it best to play by the rules…" as the old man trailed off, the other Gifted couldn't help but be amazed that there was someone out there when managed to get Grau to agree to play by their own rules instead of his. At the same time, though, they could understand why Grau might've agreed so readily. If secrecy was what got Grau a look into this weapon of mass destruction, all of the other Gifted knew they would willingly, right then and there, sew their own lips shut to see what exactly was being built and what it might do to help win the war. Confidentiality was nothing new to the Gifted, after all, them still being banned from telling the world who they were in case it reached Noctifer ears. They were known for sending out small creatures to act as spies, after all.

"So were we going to help build this weapon? Or what?" Vesper pressed and the room suddenly got a bit brighter in her agitation.

"Not to build," Grau corrected. "The plan, as it is now, states that the weapon will essentially crack open the Noctifer nest and kill everything in it. A human attack will follow immediately after. We would basically be a cleanup crew, finishing off everything still alive following the artillery attack. And with the nest thoroughly destroyed, the Noctifers would have no place to flee or hide. So we go in, destroy the hive and kill anything left over. Simple as that," Grau finished with a shrug.

"Awesome!" Emerald fist-pumped the air in excitement at the prospect of getting to stab and slash through wave after wave of Noctifers who had no means of escape. That, and the initial thought of literally getting to blow the Noctifers right into their doom was cool too.

"But if this weapon is still a couple years from completion, what in Denbar are you having us practice now until then?" asked Iris.

"Isn't that obvious? Your Gifts," Grau spread his arms. "Although a couple years may seem like a long time, you all still have much room to improve and we still have no time to waste and now that I have a solid plan to really get behind, I am ready to prep as early as I can. How about you?" he looked around the small group and they really couldn't find any reason to disagree.

From then on, as Grau promised, he put the Gifted through very rigorous training sessions. Day in and out they practiced all manner of soldering skills and they learned how to hone their Gift. Even after the Gift was mastered, endurance could always be primed. In time, Iris was able to decay anything within a five foot radius of herself in relatively short order. Living beings, such as the Noctifers she was sometimes sent out to hunt with the others, still took awhile, but she was getting far faster. In addition, she was able to do it for longer. One of her practices involved walking along a mile length of grass and stone and she was supposed to decay it all. It took time, but there did eventually come a day when she was able to walk that entire mile and destroy the entire path, decay spreading out from her foot every time it touched the ground.

"Wow," Iris marveled softly to herself. She turned around to inspect the mile-long path behind her. The entire trail was covered in withered grass and broken stones. She looked down at her feet and, with a simple thought, she projected her powers of decay until she stood in a small circle of more broken rocks and grass. It was pretty impressive, along with being kind of terrifying. The way she saw it, she was a weapon of mass destruction powerful enough to rival whatever Grau was helping build. She felt especially confident in this assessment after draining the life out of several Noctifers, their lifeless bodies literally falling at her feet as she finished her dirty work. She felt a strange sense of savage pride every time she killed a Noctifer with only a wave of her hand. There was a sense of power that came with the ability to take a life with thought alone.

Iris wasn't the only Gifted who was improving either though. Rexus' clones were able to stay out longer and longer and resist more and more pain before their master had to draw them back in. When they first met, Rexus' nine clones were only able to be away from him for a max of 10 minutes, and none of them could go too far away, nor could they suffer too much damage. Now, as far as Iris knew, 10 minutes was a minimum for Rexus, and she had seen clones as far apart as a thousand feet. In addition, the clones could take more than just a few hits before having to return to their original. Rexus and his clones were as good as 10 real soldiers now. His Gift was invaluable.

And so was Emerald's. Given her Gift of literally radiating disease off of her body, she was definitely a foe to be feared. Her Gift was slow but, like Iris', devastating. The two were death and disease, they could destroy any living being on the planet if they had enough willpower. It was a good thing both of them were more concerned with the good of Denbar, though. Or at least, Iris was. Emerald was still a bitter and grumpy jerk to everyone except Grau, constantly sneering and mocking at them all.

"Lame!" she muttered under her breath at Vesper, holding the concept of being a light-bender to be a very useless thing. Then, to prove her point, she went after the very same Noctifer Vesper was in the middle of trying to blind and concentrated hard. In the next few seconds, the Noctifer collapsed and began to twitch and foam at the mouth.

"Emerald!" Vesper whipped around and snapped at the smaller, younger girl. Emerald only shrugged innocently before continuing her work, and Vesper had the good sense to move after that. Maybe Emerald could focus her Gift on specific targets, but collateral was always a possibility. And Vesper knew she didn't want to be subject to whatever disease the green-haired, green-eyed Gifted had just unleashed upon that Noctifer.

It still took a few minutes, but Emerald did manage to kill it without ever coming closer than 10 feet. The one relief, for Vesper, was that such a bold move had drained Emerald of enough energy that she required immediate rest and was, blessedly, kept out of sight from everyone else while she recovered from that little stunt. Grau was not amused, though he was impressed with how potent her disease was. And it wasn't even just the potency that was impressive. Emerald had such a variety of diseases as well. Some were fast, some slow, some fatal, some non, some weird, some terrifying. And her disease count was growing every day as the bacteria she manipulated evolved as she used them. And of course, how hard and fast the symptoms appeared were ever-growing as well, the now-dead Noctifer being proof of that. Emerald was out cold in the hospital, recovering her strength, but if she had been with the other Gifted, she would've been wearing the biggest, smuggest smirk that any of them had ever seen. She was crazy. No one else, except maybe Grau, liked her.

Jalux was also able to make xemself stretch farther for longer periods of time and was working on extending this ability out even further. At the moment, max extension length was three feet, Jalux wanted to double that, then double it again. It was a long, hard road, but it got to a point where xe could hit six feet on all four limbs. The trick didn't last long before xe needed to rest, but it was getting there.

And Vesper's Gift of light, although already almost maxed out, was also still growing. Vesper was currently in the process of trying to make herself and others invisible through this manipulation of light the same way Jalux was. It was quite an interesting theory and was going pretty well, but it still took a lot to bend light in such a way that it looped around a person and hid them without distorting too much on the other side. Though of course, in her spare time, Vesper still liked to conjure up light beams out of thin air and surprise-attack unsuspecting foes with a violent ray of light right to the eyes. She'd nearly blinded Scarlet doing that, the poor woman. But Vesper still hardly cared at all.

Scarlet's mind control Gift began to work longer and stronger and upon more people at a given time. It was perhaps the slowest-acting of all the Gifts but was almost the scariest just because it physically compelled a person to do whatever she said, including things they'd never done before like Iris' tango. Now she was able to expand that influence to multiple people in shorter order, she was getting scarier and scarier to be sure. Once again, every Gifted was immensely relieved that Scarlet was so kind, sweet and gentle. If she had been even a bit more aggressive or power-hungry, she would've been able to overthrow anyone with just a bit of thought. She was able to mentally rework a person and persuade them to do as she desired. Wasn't that a terrifying Gift? Grau considered it one of his most valuable, even above Rexus, Iris and Emerald.

In addition, in time, Kit and Wilde also joined in on the training and they, of course, also had a lot they could improve on. Wilde had to work on making xyr lightning stronger, longer and more painful and Kit, old as ey was, could still increase eir range of healing capabilities and how fast and useful it was. Kit quickly became a very popular person during all this training because ey was always there to patch up injuries received during the day and it was good practice for em. Ey needed to practice healing multiple people of grievous injury in very short order. Ey didn't have time to nestle them into a hospital bed, ey had to do it on-spot, continually.

The hardest challenge of all for Kit was not in healing any of eir comrades, however. The hardest challenge was the practice task where ey would have to heal a Noctifer on the brink of death. Ey would nearly resurrect a Noctifer just to test eir skills. It was somewhat of a cruel method, though, because the newly-healed Noctifer would just have to be killed all over again, but Grau was adamant in this practice. In his red eyes, this strengthened Kit and warned the enemy that the Gifted were not to be taken lightly. Their strength and cruelty were high, let any Noctifer foolish enough to disbelieve this fact learn the truth the hard way. They would resurrect an enemy only to kill it again. Woe to anyone who thought otherwise. The Gifted, with Grau at the lead, were not to be trifled with.

As for Wilde? Well, being able to electrocute multiple targets in short order made xem another of Grau's favorites, still beneath Scarlet, but above Rexus and Iris/Emerald. Grau saw the last two as interchangeable. Decay and disease, it was all the same to him. But Wilde was still their strongest fighter in terms of Gift because no other Gifted soldier had a power that allowed such an overt or direct attack as a lightning bolt. Nobody wanted to fight the Gifted who could wield the power of electricity itself at xyr fingertips. It was honestly thanks to Wilde that Kit got all of the training ey did. Wilde had sent everyone to the Camp Steuben hospital at least once because of an overly-powerful shock. Wilde was always very apologetic, but Grau encouraged xem to be proud of it. It wasn't hard to tell that Grau was ecstatic, pun possibly intended, about Wilde's Gift and what a punch it could pack. The others were a little less enthusiastic about it, though.

Grau was really the only person who couldn't train his Gift, it being passive, but at the same time, he never rested. He coached all the Gifted all the time while also balancing running his own camp and keeping up with the war and the weapon of mass destruction. He was a very busy man despite not training personally. If he wasn't off directing his normal soldiers and overseeing missions, he was underground, personally coaching each and every Gifted and setting and monitoring goals for them as they practiced under his watchful, red eyes.

"Come on, come on! Harder, faster!" the old man cried impatiently as he watched his Gifted troops at work. "You'll never be fit enough in time if you don't work a little harder and faster!" he clapped his aged hands as his Gifted continued to work

"What? Is he nuts? If the last battle could still be a couple years away, what's the rush?" Iris muttered under her breath as Grau continued to work her and the others to the bone. She was just getting agitated because the way Grau was treating them now reminded her a bit too much of how Storm had treated her back when they had first met.

But even though Iris had said this under her breath, everyone else in the area heard her. Including nasty little Emerald.

"Don't disrespect him like that!" Emerald snapped. "He knows what he's doing! Besides, it's never too early to start training for battle. We could all use some work, just like he said! Using a Gift isn't something that just happens overnight!"

"I know that, obviously. And I wasn't disrespecting," Iris growled back. "I was merely asking a question."

"Well maybe you should keep your stupid little mouth shut next time, eh?" Emerald sneered. Iris proceeded to make the ground beneath Emerald's feet erode away and the green-haired, green-eyed girl shrieked in surprise as she suddenly found herself ankle-deep in dirt and pebbles. She cried out in anger, surprise, and a bit of pain, glaring daggers at Iris.

"You Purple-Eyed Punk!" Emerald snarled. She was unable to remove her feet from the cracks in the ground that Iris had created so she waved a hand in Iris' general direction. She was using one of her faster diseases now, not caring about collateral as Iris fell to the ground and convulsed, foam already gathering at the corner of her mouth. The two continued to swear at each other in anger and hatred.

"Green-Eyed Git!" Iris growled as she felt bile rising up back through her throat. She moaned softly as she tried to focus on her Gift, trying to hurt Emerald even further despite the fact that both of them were about to get into dire trouble. And not even just from their Gifts.

"Alright! That's enough!" Scarlet intervened, using her mind-control on Iris and Emerald both in order to get them to calm down and quit fighting. Against Emerald's will, Emerald drained the disease back out of Iris' veins and, against Iris' will, Iris helped Emerald out of the holes her legs were stuck in. Scarlet watched the whole thing with a pleasant expression as the other two girls lost their free will to her control.

"There now, isn't that much better? Can't you see how happier life is when we all just get along?" she asked them. Both Iris and Emerald shot the woman an incredulous and disbelieving look, but neither of them dared cross her again, lest she take away their minds and make them do something else embarrassing, like another tango.

As sweet, gentle and selfless as Scarlet was, she was such a stickler for peace and love that, ironic as it was, she could be quite the force to be reckoned with. That is to say, almost no one crossed Scarlet out of fondness for her, but for the precious few that didn't care about her kindness? They would most certainly choose not to cross her out of fear. Scarlet's mind control could be a weapon of mass destruction in its own right, even if it was a bit slow to use. But she was getting better, and that was where it got scary. But then again, all of them were working hard and all of them were becoming quite frightening in their own right. Every increased bit of skill was hard won and not something to be taken lightly.

After two weeks of what was essentially hard labor under Grau, though, Iris was finally sent home. Grau had never intended upon keeping any of them for too long. Rexus and Jalux had already left, but Wilde and Kit still had a few days to go. According to Grau, it was because his training schedule was not random.

"I'm going to be calling every Gifted in periodically to train and I'm going to have you all rotating in and out so that, while you won't spend every single day under my care, you'll still be back frequently enough to be assessed by me. I still expect you to practice when you're gone," he said.

"Yes, sir," Iris nodded politely, but the moment she turned to go, a relieved and excited smile split across her face. It had been a very long two weeks and she was so ready to be out of here! She had no clue when she'd return but, frankly, she didn't care. She was so out of here! She was going to go back home, back to Storm, back to where she belonged!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Just a bit of buildup and a chance to see some of the new guys in action.


	47. In-Laws

When Iris came home after those two weeks with Grau, April had just begun.

"Whew!" the tiny brunette muttered as she clambered out of the subway. In her two weeks in Camp Steuben, she had been in an underground room with a set temperature, so it was a nice change to feel natural springtime air again. It was warm and wet, not dry and neutral. But the temperature was not nearly as nice an experience as hearing a certain someone calling out to her.

"Iris!" it was Storm. Iris looked up to see the blond running happily over to her.

"Storm!" Iris returned the call and ran right into Storm's already-open arms.

"Hey, you!" Storm embraced Iris fiercely the moment they were together. "Ah, how I've missed you!" she kissed the girl several times.

"It was only two weeks," Iris laughed as she returned every kiss Storm gave her.

"Two weeks you were away from me. Two weeks I had to wonder and worry. Two weeks when I only got to see you through phone call. Two weeks I had to be alone. Two weeks I had to know you were with other people," Storm replied.

"True," Iris chuckled, touched by Storm's admission of how much she'd missed Iris. It was so cute! And once again, Iris had to admit that this mildly possessive Storm was kind of extra attractive... Of course, Iris understood that possessiveness, especially in a relationship, could easily turn dangerous and abusive, but Iris could feel that Storm wasn't at that level. And she would never reach it. Maybe she was possessive of Iris, but it was only done through affection and not any belief that she owned Iris in any sense of the word. Besides, Iris felt much the same.

"But I am back now and, according to Grau, I should be here awhile more. No more mysterious summons, I think," Iris finished with a happy sigh as she continued to stare up at Storm, a bit lovestruck to be quite honest.

"Good! You're mine, not his," Storm grunted in reply. Iris' heart skipped another beat. "What did he want, anyway?"

"Ah, just training," Iris tried not to look guilty as she lied.

"Why though? He knows you're from Camp Heath and that you have no plans on transferring out, right?" Storm asked warily, even raising an eyebrow as she looked down at Iris to ask.

"I don't know," Iris lied again. "He just keeps calling and I really have no choice but to answer."

"If you want, I can talk to Captain about talking to Grau," Storm suggested, wrapping a long arm around Iris.

"Nah, I mean, I really didn't mind it. It was just weird," Iris shrugged, still trying to hide the true truth from the blond. She felt bad about hiding her Gift and lying so explicitly, but it was Grau's orders and his reasoning for the secrecy made sense.

"Will you ever have to go back?" Storm asked next.

"One week out of every eight," Iris nodded.

"Oddly specific," Storm muttered disapprovingly. "I think he's still trying to recruit you."

"Well, I won't let him," Iris promised. "Not so long as you're here!"

"Good," Storm gave a satisfied smirk. "Now come on. Two weeks or not, it's been too long and I've missed you. I don't want to share you with anyone else at least for a little while…" Iris smiled at the little note of envy in Storm's voice and willingly let the woman lead her back to the heart of camp. It was good to be home!

The moment Iris made it back into the main hub of the camp, however, another surprise awaited her.

"Iris! Darling!" two voice called out to the tiny brunette and her jaw dropped as she turned to see her own parents, waving at her from afar.

"Mom? Dad?" the purple-eyed soldier could only gasp. But as sure as her eyes were purple, her parents were in Camp Heath, waiting for her.

"Ah, I forgot to mention. Your parents joined up like two days ago. They've been dying to see you," Storm said. There was an obvious note of distaste in her voice and Iris knew why, but she was far too wrapped up in this new surprise to care. Instead, she ran from Storm at once, moving in soundless awe at her parents who were also moving over to greet her.

"Iris! Honey!" Mae and Lester repeated their earlier greeting once their daughter was in their arms again.

"Mom? Dad? What in Denbar are you doing here?" the tiny brunette exclaimed as she hugged her parents. It was good to see them, but it had been such a surprise that she really had no idea why they were here.

"We joined," Mae answered simply, speaking both for herself and her husband.

"You can't be serious!" Iris cried, but they nodded back an affirmative. "But why?" Iris shook her head.

"Because we wanted to keep the family together," Mae answered. "With you and Rusty here, it was just us back in Labelle and we felt bad so…"

"So we decided to just come down here and join you," Lester finished.

"Wow…" Iris muttered, unsure of what else to say in a scenario like this. Seriously, the last thing she could've ever imagined was her own two parents standing before her in army uniforms, but here they were! This was no joke, this was entirely serious.

"You don't seem happy," Mae observed, eyebrows knitting together in concern.

"Oh, it's not that!" Iris assured them. "I just wasn't expecting it."

"Don't worry, we understand that. We thought you might freak out a bit," Lester laughed. "But this was our choice and we are here now, so…"

"So I guess, then, welcome to Camp Heath," Iris gave her parents a weak smile. This was just so surreal. After two weeks of hardcore training under Grau, Iris had not expected to come back to Camp Heath to see her parent. "And where is Rusty anyway?" Iris asked next.

"Kitchen," Lester said. "Your mom and I just got done speaking with him. He'll be so glad to see you!"

"I know we were," Mae agreed with a smile, touching Iris' face a little. Iris couldn't help but grin. As weird as this may have seemed to most people her age, Iris adored her parents, and they adored her too. Iris never understood how people could ever get embarrassed when their parents openly showed them affection. Iris thought it was sweet, and she always loved when Mae would touch her cheek or pet her hair. She never thought it was embarrassing and never saw a reason to push Mae away and insist that such coddling was unnecessary. Not when it was so nice!

"And who are your mentors?" Iris asked next, trying to rouse herself as she removed herself from Mae and Lester's arms.

"Well, I'm training to be a doctor here," Mae began. "And they gave me Dr. Lisa Lockewood. She's so friendly!"

"Wonderful," Iris smiled, and she was being totally truthful. Sure, there was something strange about her mother being taught by her ex's mother, but Dr. Lockewood really was a wonderful person, perfect for Mae. Iris could already tell that the two would get along excellently.

"And how about you, Dad?" Iris asked her father.

"Oh, you'll be so proud!" Lester puffed up his chest. "I'm training with the camp deputy!"

"Maxim Roths?!" Iris cried. Lester misread Iris' exclamation as one of excitement and he nodded proudly. Iris, meanwhile, felt her gut drop. She had no issues with Dr. Longwood, or the idea of her training Mae, but Maxim Roths? Iris had a big problem with him as a whole. Maxim Roths, seriously?! Wasn't he too stuck up for an apprentice? And why in Denbar did it have to be Iris' father, of all people? Why?!

"He's training me how to do some of the more paperwork stuff here," Lester explained, still confusing Iris' dismay with pride.

"So you aren't going to be fighting either?" Iris asked, trying to cope with the fact that Maxim was going to be training her father. Great.

"Uhhh, I'd rather not," Lester confessed with a sheepish smile and Iris sighed affectionately at him despite herself. Lester had never liked rough play, even when Iris was a kid, and he'd always tried to be super gentle with her when they played together. That wasn't to say he refused to let her play some rougher games, he just got a bit nervous whenever Iris was out in a field instead of back at home. That hadn't changed about him at all.

"Yeah, you're just so very lucky when it comes to your folks, eh?" Storm finally caught up with Iris and gave her a sarcastic remark.

"Oh, shut up," Iris' smile faded as she was reminded how exactly her three parents were doing. She cringed a little while Storm continued laughing.

"Ah, Ms. Storm," the smile Lester gave Storm was so clearly fake, Iris wondered why he bothered even trying.

"Mr. Lester," Storm responded easily, that same smug look she used to give Rusty written upon her face. It was clear she didn't hold Mae or Lester in any higher regard than she'd held Rusty and it was clear that neither Mae nor Lester liked Storm any better than Rusty. This was so awkward. Was Iris cursed to live out life with her family being at odds with her lover? And what about Maxim Roths?! Ugh!

"Why do they hate you so much?" Iris asked with a sigh as soon as her parents had gone off to return to their mentors. She wasn't being serious, but Storm still answered the question.

"It's because I told them we've slept with each other every night since we first met," she said smugly.

"You what?! Seriously, Storm!? Why must you perpetuate all this nonsense?" Iris sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. For one who claimed to be mature and disdain foolish youth, Storm really did some incredibly immature things.

"Because it's too easy! And it's too fun! Besides, in-laws never get along," Storm replied with a shrug.

"In-laws?!" Iris snorted in anger and amusement.

"Yeah," Storm nodded again, still totally nonchalant about all of Iris' current issues regarding her family.

"But that old stereotype isn't true!" Iris argued. "That's just some stupid myth the media perpetuates. I mean, true, not every extended family is going to get along, but I wish we'd stop painting the lie that all in-laws are supposed to be inherently antagonistic with one another! Maybe, if you tried to be just a bit nicer, you and my parent would get along after all!"

"Not likely," Storm replied with another shrug. "I hate them, they hate me, end of story."

"Absolutely not," Iris interjected, finally putting her foot down. "I thought you were better than this. More mature!"

"What do you mean?" Storm asked. It was finally sinking in that Iris honestly didn't find this funny.

"I mean your absolute refusal to even try to get along with my parents!" Iris explained impatiently. "Like I said, I don't care if you guys don't get along, but the fact that you don't even seem to be trying says a lot," Iris' anger turned to pleading. "Come on, Storm, you managed to open up to me. Why can't you try to be a little open with them?" she cocked her head in the direction of where her parents had gone. "I really want you guys to like each other and I was hoping to secure their blessing if we ever do decide to make them your in-laws. How will that be if you continually push their limits? I want them to really say yes when I ask if they approve of you!"

Storm was about to come up with some snarky remark but, when she looked into Iris' purple eyes and saw nothing but genuine hurt, she relented. Iris had a point. Storm was being unnecessarily cruel. And it wasn't funny or cute at all. Instead, it was really nasty and immature. It was not something Storm wanted to be labeled as, especially by Iris.

"I'm sorry," the blond said at last, sincere. "You know I've just never been good with people," the woman gave Iris a pleading look as she tried to remind the smaller, younger soldier of how they'd been when they first met. And heck, although Iris didn't know it, Storm hadn't exactly hit it off with Gale or Tempest right away either.

"I know," Iris promised. "And I'm not complaining about that. You have every right to be a loner and not enjoy the things most other people do. Introversion is entirely normal and I understand you don't like socializing and that's totally fine. I'm not trying to change you in that regard. My beef is with your rudeness. Preferring to avoid human contact is no excuse to avoid manners."

"I know, I know," Storm told Iris. "I mean, I promise I will try to be better with your parents, but you've got to get them to try too."

"I will," Iris promised. "Even I have to admit that they're being a bit more judgmental than I expected, but I assume it's because they're trying to get accustomed to a whole new world. They usually aren't like this. They're actually the most open and understanding people I know!" Iris paused to smile as she thought of all the times her parents had accepted her unconditionally and supported her in all that she did, even if they didn't understand it all exactly. "They just need time, but I promise I'll work on them too."

"Good," Storm sighed. "And thank you."

"Anything for you, dearest," Iris smiled up at Storm and Storm touched Iris' cheek.

"Alright you two! Enough sexy time!" someone barked at them from across the way. "We got a war to fight, so come on!"

"Well, I guess that's our cue," Iris chuckled as she reluctantly pulled out of Storm's touch.

"I'm gonna kill whoever said that," growled Storm as she tried to see who it was that had interrupted her moment with Iris.

"No you're not," Iris deadpanned. "But we are gonna go kill some Noctifers, if that'll make you feel better."

"I guess," Storm grunted, but she willingly followed Iris to the place where they'd get their next assignment as their thoughts turned back to war.

In the days to come, Storm made good on her vow to try and treat 'the in-laws' with a bit more politeness and sensitivity than she had in the past and although there was still no sudden epiphany or sweet family reunion, a grudging respect did finally rise up between Iris' parents and her girlfriend. Iris' parents began to see that, as rough as Storm was, her love for Iris was real and that she really did do a good job of keeping Iris safe and happy. All in all, Mae and Lester had to admit that Storm had successfully taken care of Iris in the past year and several months. And wasn't that every parent's dream? To see their child being looked after? So what did they have to complain about in Storm?

Sure, they did still wish that Iris had chosen someone gentler, but it was not their job to control Iris' life. Their job was to make sure she was living it safely. Of course, even Iris' parents were bound to mess up and there were a few fights between them and Iris regarding a lot of her life choices that had to do with the army, Storm being one of them, but all in all, they weren't half bad for parents. Iris had seen a lot worse and even though her own family had its faults, they were few and far between. Mae and Lester would learn to trust Storm more, despite her aggressive appearance and antisocial actions.

And with Storm, she began to see why Iris loved them so much. She had to just give it time too and stop looking at them with so much disdain. She had to stop seeing them for what they weren't and start seeing them for what they were. Storm saw the way Mae still coddled Iris even though Iris was 19 because Mae's love for Iris had not changed within the 19 years they'd been together. She saw the way Lester treated Iris exactly like a princess, making sure that she wanted for nothing, but also keeping her disciplined and raising her to be a kind and honorable girl. She saw the way that Rusty tried to quell his concern for Iris and teach himself to support her and her freedoms as an adult, though he would still sometimes hover and worry, but he was getting better at letting Iris choose her own path.

In time, it became increasingly clear to Storm that Iris' three parents did genuinely love her. They treated her with a perfect mix of respect and care, taking her seriously and letting her live her own life, but still checking in on her. The way they saw it, they were neither writers nor readers of Iris' story. They were editors and reviewers, leaving comments and corrections that would ultimately be left up to Iris whether or not she took them into account and they cared out this role very well. Sure, they still made mistakes and Iris' family was not perfect and fights did occur, but all things considered, all three of them were amazing parents.

It wasn't often when Storm had ever seen parents that supportive. Her own had either not cared what she was up to or had intentionally cut off her source of happiness out of spite or some twisted belief that she had somehow wronged them and deserved punishment. And as Storm continued to see the loving side of Iris' parents, she began to realize how cruel she'd been. They really were good people and it was probably her rocky relationship with her own parents that ever led her to scorn Iris'. Iris' parents were nothing like hers and that was a very good thing. In addition, their love meant that Iris was cared for and had been raised properly. That was something Storm was grateful for on a more personal level. Iris never had to understand a life of constant fear or anger. Storm made a mental note, then, to thank the Longs for raising Iris right, so that she could become the girl she had and save Storm from her own less-than-stellar past.

"But are you absolutely sure you wouldn't ever want to date anyone else?" Lester had asked Iris one night as they left the dining hall.

"No, Dad," Iris sighed as they walked through the dark camp. "You, Mom and Rusty have all already asked several times over."

"We just want to make sure you're taken care of," Lester defended, though Iris wasn't wrong.

"I know, and I appreciate it, but Storm is no danger to me. I know she'd never hurt me," Iris promised.

"Maybe not on purpose," Lester grunted indignantly.

"Dad. Accidents happen. You can't rule Storm out as a lover just because we might slip up sometimes. I mean, you and Mae used to fight too!" Iris reminded her dad. That was her biggest peeve. Although they did seem to understand that Storm and Iris' love was mutual and pure, not at all tainted by abuse of any kind, they still wished Iris had chosen someone a little bit nicer and gentler.

"I know, I know," Lester sighed, voice quieter. "I just worry."

"I know," Iris snorted, but then her face softened. "I really do appreciate it, but you have to trust me on this that I know what I'm doing. I know you may not like Storm, but I've seen a side of her that no one else does. She's not just the callous or savage warrior you think she is."

"I suppose you're right," Lester finally confessed. "I mean, I have seen the way she looks at you when she thinks no one else is looking and Rusty has told me that she keeps you safe and Mae really doesn't mind her at all. Just give it time. Give us time..."

Lester turned out correct that all they needed was time. As the months passed, at the end of May, Rusty finally became a full soldier and the relationship between him, Mae, Lester, Iris and Storm looked like it was going to be good for a long time more.

"I can't believe he's finally graduating!" Iris squealed in excitement as the dinner of that last day in May began.

"I can't either," Storm chuckled, but it was only half a joke. She was getting along better with Iris' family, but she still laughed at them sometimes.

"That'll be you guys in four months!" Iris remarked eagerly, leaning over to her parents who sat on her other side. Storm's table was crowded now, what with herself and the Weathers and then Iris, Rusty and Iris' parents.

"We know," they laughed. Their first two months hadn't been nearly as bad as Rusty, them having fit better into their jobs from the get-go. Lester spent his days helping Maxim with paperwork while Mae spent hers helping the sick and injured while also learning the trade of being an army doctor. It really was very fascinating stuff. The days were long and busy, true, but it wasn't half bad and it was all worth it to keep the family together. Mae and Lester really had started to miss Iris and Rusty in the four months Rusty was gone.

"Ohh, shut up everyone! It's starting!" Gale held up his hand eagerly as he watched Captain rise from his spot at the head of the hall.

Iris had seen every soldier ceremony Camp Heath had held in all the time she was here and it never ceased to send chills down her spine. Nothing made her prouder than to see apprentices become full soldiers and join the army properly as new comrades and family members. Tonight was especially special, though, because of Rusty. And even though no soldier was ever singled out during the ceremony, Iris' purple eyes were still locked on Rusty the entire time he and the rest of the group, all hilariously much younger than him by at least 10 years, said their vows.

"You have trained hard to understand the ways of our noble army and I commend you all as proper soldiers in your turn," Captain said, beginning the age-old speech. "Now I must ask, do you promise to serve and protect this country even at the cost of your life?" he asked.

"I do," 17-ish solemn voices echoed their leader's words. Rusty was among them. Iris was so proud!

"Then, in the name of Denbar, I give you your proper title," Captain told the apprentices. "From this moment on you will be known as full soldiers. Denbar honors your virtues and I welcome to you as a full soldier of Camp Heath!"

As with every other ceremony, the night was spent in celebration. Sure, a few patrols had to be sent out early to make sure nothing was lurking in the woods as they celebrated, but everyone was still able to get in on the fun at least a little bit before it was time to head out.

"Woo hoo!" Iris sung happily as Rusty came back over with his new title. It had been a long time since anyone had seen him looking so proud and happy and just alive. But it made perfect sense why he'd look so elated and reverent. It was because, the way he saw it, he was finally doing his daughter's memory justice and had, in her place and footsteps, became a soldier too. He could only hope that she would've been proud of him. Oh, he still grieved her almost every single night, but he was not a slave to mourning any longer. Instead, he raised his head in triumph.

"I made it!" he declared and everyone at Storm's table, including Storm herself, congratulated the old man.

"All we had to do was just give it time!" the blond told Iris and Iris smiled proudly at her, nodding back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I know this had nothing to do with anything, but I just needed my OTP to have a bit of cutesy time. Consider this a break in the story for senseless fluff. I promise I won't digress too much later on though.


	48. Another Love Story

Iris went to bed that night feeling really good… about everything! There was just something so rejuvenating about soldier ceremonies that no matter how bleak things seemed, going through one always left Iris feeling really upbeat and hopeful. The fact that this ceremony belonged to her "uncle" made it even better. She really was so proud with how much he'd changed, finally putting on weight and getting wrinkles from smiling instead of frowning and leading a life he genuinely took pride in, but she was also proud of everyone else. Her family was getting less judgmental. Storm was finally at a point where she considered 'the in-laws' to at least be worthy of respect. So far, no other drastic battles had occurred. Captain, Gale and Tempest were all still alive and well. And Iris, herself, was growing.

During the last few months, Iris had made good on her word with Grau to return every one week out of eight to train with him. By now, her Gift, frightening and sick as it was, was pretty awesome.

"Of course you still have room for improvement!" Grau had told her. This was not out of any cruelty, he just hoped that when the weapon of mass destruction was done and the army was ready to launch its last attack, Iris would be capable of being one of his biggest offensive players. Grau was a major strategist and, even a couple years ahead of time, he was planning this big battle. He was calculating every move and outcome based on preexisting factors and he was already dividing up all his soldiers, Gifted and non, into offensive and defensive. With Iris' ability to quite literally suck the life out of anything she chose, she was obviously an offensive player. Grau's only concern was, would she be a good enough offensive player when the time came?

Although the WOMD was meant to obliterate every trace of Noctifer, Grau knew full well there could be a lot of survivors from the initial blow and if it came to that, Iris was going to need all the skill she had to help take down the survivors. Sure, he had other people like Wilde, Rexus and Emerald, but it never hurt to have more. It was in that moment that Grau regretted having to dispose of Connor and Venderwarp. Venderwarp's teleportation would've been super handy in moving people around the battle field and Connor had already shown a lot of early promise and potential with his plant manipulation… But oh well. They had refused to surrender to him and Grau considered it more important to keep the order in camp and dispose of them then try and salvage their Gifts and send out the signal that rebellion would be tolerated. Besides, there were still other Gifted in Denbar, as Grau well knew. He would call them in if he ever got desperate enough. As for now, Iris and the others would be enough.

Speaking of which, the others could be quite the bunch as well.

"Give me back my sword!" Iris snarled, holding out her hand to Emerald. Emerald had snatched the thing clean off of Iris' hip while Iris was working on her decaying powers. Not only did that anger Iris because it was such a sly move, but because that was her special sword. She hated seeing Emerald's nasty little paws on it. Emerald, however, twirled the little blade around in her hand and laughed.

"If you want it, come and get it!" she cried, then she began running. Iris couldn't mask a dry laugh. Who did Emerald think she was kidding? Iris then proceeded to decay some of the ground on the path Emerald was running. Once again, the girl ended up literally falling for the move and, as she hit the ground, the sword fell out of her hand. Iris lunged after it, moving with that inhuman speed and agility of a Gifted, reaching the sword mere seconds after it hit the ground.

"Thanks," Iris smirked down at her enemy as she braggingly reclaimed her weapon. Emerald snarled up at her and waved a hand. Iris got a whiff of something sharp. She couldn't describe it, but all she knew was that she had better run now before Emerald tried to douse her again with whatever else she had. But it was too late. Even though Iris managed to escape Emerald safely, there was an extreme pain in her chest and lungs and she knew she'd better do something about it fast. Iris had no idea if Emerald would ever actually try to really kill her, but she didn't want to wait to find out. So once she was far enough away from Emerald to feel confident that she was no longer being directly infected, she made a bee-line to the Camp Steuben hospital. Kit was there that day, as she knew, and ey would fix her up in a jiff.

"Urgh! I hate her!" Iris snarled as Kit used eir Gift to sap the bad bacteria out of her veins.

"Well, maybe if you didn't provoke her," Kit reminded the smaller, younger Gifted.

"But she started it!" Iris whined.

"Oh come on, what are you, four?" Kit scoffed at Iris' remark.

"No, I'm 19!" she crossed her arms, then cringed. Her chest still felt tight, and wrapping her arms around herself like that felt weird. It didn't hurt, per se, but it certainly didn't feel normal. She made a funny face involuntarily and Kit couldn't help but laugh. Wilde and the Camp Reed Gifted were still back at home, not having been called in for their one-out-of-every-eight (OOOEE) yet.

That being said, Emerald was also the only Camp Steuben Gifted. Grau gave his own soldiers their due breaks as well. Scarlet would be coming back for her week soon though. That thought cheered Iris up somewhat. She really did like Scarlet. But then again, who didn't? The woman was just so impossibly kind and adorable that Iris was sure no one in Denbar could hate her, even Grau and Emerald! Iris wondered then if Scarlet had somehow sapped all of Emerald's potential cheerfulness and taken it for herself. It would explain why Scarlet seemed eternally happy while Emerald was eternally angry.

"Dolly!" Scarlet exclaimed the day she returned to the OOOEE. Since the Gifted training was highly secretive, Iris wasn't allowed to show her face around camp normally, so Scarlet actually had no clue that Iris was here until that day. Emerald hadn't bothered to inform her and nor had Grau. So it was a surprise to the gorgeous woman to see Iris, but the surprise was very pleasant.

"Hello, Scarlet," Iris replied fondly, but before she could blink, Scarlet had skipped over to her and was smothering her in hugs and kisses. "Ah, it's good to see you too," Iris grunted as Scarlet continued to hug her tightly, nuzzling her face and kissing her cheeks over and over.

"It has been so long!" Scarlet agreed with a wave of her hand.

She spent the new few minutes excitedly catching up with Iris until Grau interrupted the little reunion with a dry cough.

"As much as it warms my heart to see my Gifted getting along, keep in mind that this isn't just a pleasure trip," he told the two.

"Of course, sir. You're right, sir. Sorry, sir," Scarlet apologized warmly, even giving a little curtsey to the man.

"That won't be necessary," Grau told her. He really didn't like people bowing to him. As commanding as he was, that kind of display of respect made him feel uncomfortable, strange as that sounded.

"Ah, I apologize again, sir!" Scarlet chirped and Iris couldn't mask a laugh. Going by what she could tell, Scarlet was about Storm's age, but those two couldn't have been more opposite than if they tried. Scarlet was just so bubbly and outgoing while Storm, was, well… Storm, with Iris being the only one she was really that affectionate around. Even with Gale and Tempest, Storm had a bit of reservation. But Scarlet, Iris was sure, had no reservations with anyone. Iris could see Scarlet being the one who tried to greet a Noctifer with politeness and joviality, at least until she got the hint that Noctifers were not open to human relations. She would probably drive Storm nuts if they ever met.

"Well then, less talking and more training," the old man advised and Scarlet gave him a salute, as he had turned down her curtseying. Iris muffled a laugh again and even Grau shook his hooded head, amused and exasperated by the insanely bright and bubbly woman.

There was only one time when Iris ever saw Scarlet looking glum and that was when she was dealing with one of the Camp Steuben soldiers named Theodore Knox. Apparently, he and Scarlet used to be friends before Scarlet joined the army. After Scarlet joined up, she and Theodore sort of fell out of touch, but it looked like Theodore had joined up again fairly recently, and although Scarlet had been able to rekindle their friendship with ease, Iris almost wondered if the black-eyed Gifted didn't want more than that…

"He and I have been friends for years," the woman sighed wistfully as she stared after the muscled man. He had a ruddy handsomeness to him and was very large, both in terms of height and girth. He had an impressive set of muscles, but so did pretty much everyone else in the army, and he was bald. His eyes were a rather plain shade of brown, but according to Scarlet, they could convey so many emotions and colors of their own.

"If he was happy, they would look like the gold ores people found in the heart of stony mountains. If he was sad, they became darker, like the depths of a river. If he was angry, they would become the stony mountains themselves! His eyes aren't just brown any more than my eyes are just black!" Scarlet had insisted. It was during that talk that Iris got her first inklings.

"Are you in love with him?" she'd dared to ask as Scarlet continued to talk about their history and describe him in such a detailed way.

"What? No!" Scarlet laughed. "We're just very good friends, and it's been awhile, so, you know, we've been needing to catch up."

"Are you sure?" Iris asked again when Scarlet began to trail off, her laughter dying into another longing sigh.

"Of course! Do you doubt me?" but even Scarlet sounded like she was doubting herself. Iris smiled sadly at the woman. She knew what it felt like to pine after someone who didn't notice and she knew what it felt like to be unsure if it was really even love at all.

But, in time, Iris was able to get Scarlet to spill just a little bit more.

"He just doesn't seem into romance," the woman sighed one day after training as Iris drilled her for more info about Theodore.

"You mean he's aromantic?" asked Iris.

"No, no," Scarlet corrected. "He's panromantic, he told me. I just mean that he doesn't seem to be the romantic type. Like it isn't his strong suit, you know? Like I said, we've been friends for years and I've seen him try to court men, women and anyone in between or outside that binary and he just never seems to know what he's doing," Scarlet trailed off with a small laugh.

"Trust me, I understand that," Iris echoed the laugh. She was bisexual and biromantic who'd had several partners before, but she still understood being a helpless, hopeless romantic.

"But the problem is, he never seems to notice it when people court him," Scarlet's laughter turned into a frustrated sigh.

"Well, ain't that the curse of love?" Iris asked with a grim smile, thinking about how long Storm had pined after her without her ever noticing.

"Perhaps," Scarlet agreed glumly. "But even if he did notice, I don't think he's that interested in me anyway..." she trailed off sadly.

"Well, there are other guys and gals at Camp Steuben," Iris offered weakly.

"I know, but I don't really want any of them. Believe me, I've tried, but it doesn't work," Scarlet sighed again, then she gave a weak laugh. "It is ironic to be me," she said. "I do have a lot of suitors, but the one I want is the one who hasn't even looked my way. And to top it off, I've personally always considered myself demi/bisexual and demi/panromantic, so I feel attracted to and fall in love with people very rarely. I need to have that strong bond with them first. But of course the one time my heart decides to call out, it's to a guy who doesn't even see me."

"But that's just it," Iris reminded her. "If you guys are so close, it makes sense that he would be one of the few people you fell for."

"Perhaps," Scarlet agreed. "But it is still frustrating. I am a hopeless romantic!" she shook her head. "How strange is it for a demi to say that? Especially one such as I, who has had more suitors and callers in one month than most have in one year?"

"Not strange at all," Iris said. "You can dream about romance without feeling any deep attraction. I was pretty pathetic too," the tiny brunette laughed as she remembered the many, many crushes she'd had in her youth. It had nothing to do with her orientation, she just fell so easily. She hadn't been joking when she said she loved love stories. She was in love with the idea of being in love.

"Ah well, here's to lost love, I suppose," Scarlet said at last, raising an imaginary glass.

"Nonsense," Iris protested. "If there's one thing my girlfriend taught me, romance comes from the most surprising of places! I mean, she hardly seemed to be a romantic at all, yet here we stand today! We got together last September."

"Oh really? Congratulations!" Scarlet smiled despite the air of longing that hung around her. "I always do love a good love story!"

"So do I," Iris agreed, then her purple eyes glowed knowingly. Maybe another love story could spring up from this one?

Later that night, the tiny brunette finally dared to sneak out of Grau's underground bunker for the Gifted. She was on a mission tonight, this time given by her own choice instead of a superior. She was going to talk to Theodore Knox and see if he might be interested at all in Scarlet! Even if Scarlet was too scared to find out, Iris desperately wanted to know, so it was worth a shot. The young woman rose to the surface of camp and scurried carefully from Grau's office to the center of camp. She knew Grau was busy elsewhere, so Iris would be able to do all this undetected if she was fast enough. She knew what Theodore looked like and where he usually hung out, thanks to Scarlet, so all she had to do was find the-

"Well, well, well! What do we have here? A tiny mouse?" a genuinely curious voice pierced the darkness and Iris turned to see that same large man Scarlet had showed to her a few days ago in the form of an old picture. Talk about a lucky break!

"Theodore Knox?" the tiny brunette asked.

"The very same!" the large man replied, towering at least two heads over her.

"Good," Iris sighed in relief. That went easier than expected. Now all she had to do was ask…

A few minutes later, Iris was singing and laughing with Theodore. He reminded her very much of Captain, though Captain was a couple decades older and had more fat than Theodore, but that was ok. Other than that, though, the two could've been brothers, or even father and son! They were both loud and cheerful, friendly and selfless. They both had an outwardly intense appearance, but an inwardly soft heart. They were both beholden to a chivalrous honor code and they had both joined the army in hopes of helping save the country. They weren't in it for the personal glory, though that was always nice. And the two managed to maintain a smile through almost everything. That being said, Theodore did cry often when in the right situations, but that was because he was an emotional fellow. Other than that, he almost seemed like a younger and less hairy Captain, lacking any hair on his head or face, though he did have a nice layer on his chest and limbs.

Iris' favorite similarity between the two right now, however, was their inclination to romance. Theodore had described himself as gray-asexual and panromantic, though by the cruel hand of fate, he hadn't been in many relationships at all. Iris inwardly celebrated as the man looked genuinely confused and downtrodden by his misfortune in love.

"I don't get it!" he sighed. "I do everything right, I think, but no one ever sticks around for long," he rested a large chin on a giant hand. "Either no one seems interested, or the few people I have managed to court don't last. I think my exuberance might drive them away. How about you? What do you think?" he looked down at Iris, genuinely interested in what she might reply with.

"Well, if you were looking, I do know a gal who's interested," Iris replied casually.

"Who?" Theodore asked eagerly. He was still confounded as to who this child was and where she'd come from, but she was just so feisty and ready to talk that he'd put those questions behind him, trusted that she was in the right place, and engaged in a very stimulating conversation with her.

They talked about a great deal of things and finally somehow got onto the topic of romance. Now at last she was suggesting someone to him. But who? As far as he knew, there was no one around here who ever gave him much of a look. He wasn't ugly by any means, but he was not handsome, thin, delicate or lithe like a lot of the guys he and his friends would swoon for. In addition, he could be a bit clumsy and silly. He wasn't very good at dancing and could be a bit chatty and tone-deaf at times. It was his biggest curse, speaking his mind, because something the things he said accidently offended others. He wouldn't have meant to say anything wrong, but he'd lost several friends and coworkers with his free tongue. The idea that someone here was in love with him seemed a bit silly, but Iris had promised that this was true. But who?

"Why, Ms. Scarlet Black of course!" Iris replied, and for a moment, Theodore had been floored.

Once he was finally able to wrap his head around that concept, though, he began begging Iris for info about how she knew and she was more than happy to supply, explaining everything. By the end of it, Theodore was singing and dancing in delight. He'd been in love with Scarlet for some time too, but as they had only ever been platonic friends before, he hadn't realized that her thought on him might've changed. After all, their long history had shown nothing but platonic affection, so he hadn't even realized there had been any shift. He assumed that they would continue to be platonic friends just because they had such a strong foundation there already.

In addition, she gave no outward indication of being interested, so he assumed she still saw him in a platonic light and he didn't even bother to bring it up. He didn't want to be that creepy guy or that jerk who hit on his friends or pulled the, "We've known each other for a while" card or that, "I'm a nice guy!" thing. No, those people sickened him. They weren't usually nice at all. They were overbearing, possessive jerks who simply wanted more from their partner, but did not necessarily want a true romance. Theodore did not want to be like that at all. He did not want to be the guy that insisted that a girl may ever owe him a romance just because they used to be friends or had known each other for a long time. But to hear that he did have a chance with Scarlet after all made him swoon. To hear that she actually did want to go farther was like music to his ears!

"Please don't," Iris squeaked as Theodore did genuinely look close to fainting. "I'm not strong enough to catch you!"

"Ah, true that! Theodore agreed. He was a foot taller and half a foot wider. Gifted or not, Iris wasn't sure she'd be able to catch him. "But what you've told me has just made me so happy!" he looked like a little boy who had just gotten a puppy for Christmas.

"I can tell," Iris muttered with a smile. Another love story had begun. "So are you going to ask her out tomorrow?"

"If everything goes according to plan," the large man replied.

"Excellent," Iris smiled. "Then I hope to see you and her together tomorrow!" she gave the man a farewell bow before retreating into the shadows, leaving a happy but confused Theodore to wonder who exactly she was and where she had come from. Was she some sort of strange new messenger? An angel that had interceded on his and Scarlet's behalf? Some traveler that brought good luck and good love with her wherever she snuck out to? And did Scarlet specifically send her? Or had she come of her own free will? He would ask Scarlet tomorrow.

Iris had promised to see Theodore and Scarlet tomorrow, but was unable to keep that promise as her week ended that night. It was part of the reason she'd gone to speak with Theodore then, because it was her last chance before she had eight more weeks. Of course, Theodore didn't need to know that, so she told the little white lie and went to bed. The next morning, however, even though she had to go, she still kept an eye out for the large man. It was her hope that she would see him again before she left. There was no such luck.

"Ah well," she told herself as she boarded the subway home. "I can only hope another love story succeeds tonight!" and although she wouldn't know it, she would be totally right. Sure, Scarlet would be a little embarrassed that Iris had told Theodore all that she did, but everything worked out in the end and Scarlet couldn't find it within herself to be mad at Iris for long, especially not since Iris had helped her get with the guy of her dreams! Another love story was on its way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ok, I lied, I'm sorry! But Scarlet x Theodore is one of the cutest ships I've written, IMO, so I just had to leave this chapter in even though it really has little to offer the overall plot. I'm sorry Part 3 of this saga is so full of filler. I confess I'm not a good writer and a lot of this is just stuff I don't know where else to put. But bear with me, there IS a plot in this final act and I think the ending, if nothing else, will be very surprising. Also, yes I know that this chapter was a bit heavy on the queer-speak, but keep in mind that queerness is supposed to be a large aspect of the story, it's just treated as normal, so no one really stands out for being LGBTQIA+, though it's not like no one ever talks about it.


	49. Another Summons

Though, as surprisingly romantic as army life could get, there was still a war going on and plans were constantly being made. Iris was a big part of some of those more secretive plans and, at long last, she was finally getting to take a look at them for herself. It all began about four months after her parents had joined the army. By now, it was July. The weather was warm and the sun stayed up very late. Iris was on her way back to the soldier cabins after dinner, just stopping by to clean up before she'd head out for another patrol, when she found another summons.

"Oh, hello," Iris spoke to her bed, seeing a note upon the pillow. "Who are you?" she bent over to pick up the letter, opening it. She already knew that it would be from Grau, but she couldn't deny some surprise as to why he was sending her direct messages now. Was there something new he needed? She hadn't missed her OOOEE, so why was he calling? Well, there was only one way to find out...

In the end, Iris' answer was not the one she'd expected. Although it was indeed Grau commanding her to go to a specific camp for further training for the end of the war, this time, she was being sent to Camp Reed. How unexpected and odd! But the name was there, black and white, written out. Grau wanted Iris to go to Camp Reed, ASAP. It was very strange, sudden and suspicious, but at the same time, Iris didn't doubt its authenticity or seriousness at all. It was very Grau to demand that she go somewhere without telling her why.

But still, Iris couldn't help but wonder why Grau thought she needed to go to Camp Reed of all places! And there was still the lingering question of how this letter had even gotten here in the first place. Grau still didn't have a teleporter and none of the Gifted Iris had met had any travel capabilities even remotely closed to Venderwarp's and Grau, though immortal, was not invincible. He couldn't have hand-delivered this letter! But Iris had tried asking once how Grau sent out all those private and hand-written letters. Obviously, he refused to tell. Classic Grau. So was Iris going to trust this vague and random letter, insisting she go to the far western mountains at once without saying anything else? Of course!

The young woman changed plans at once, taking the letter to Captain to receive his blessing to go.

"Hmmm, that's suspicious," the large man rubbed his giant beard as he read the incredibly short letter. "But it is a real note," he said, then he gave Iris his permission to go. Iris thanked him, then darting away from his office and towards the subway. She ran into Storm on the way there.

"Hey, Iris! Where are you going?" the blond greeted Iris as the two nearly collided.

"Oh! Uhhh, I got called away," Iris stuttered.

"What? Where? And by whom?" Storm asked. Iris soundlessly handed her the short letter and Storm's blue eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure you can trust this?" the woman demanded as soon as she was done reading the note.

"Not at all," Iris confessed. "But Captain and I were both able to confirm that it's another summons and it's official. There's no scam here."

"I don't doubt its legitimacy," Storm replied. "I'm just asking whether or not you're actually going to listen to it."

"Well, I kind of have to," Iris said. "It's another summons from Grau, after all."

"Well, not necessarily," Storm said. "Like I said, I can talk to Captain and he can make it so Grau stops bothering you all the time!"

"No, no, no," Iris protested. "That won't be necessary!" as much as Iris might've liked to just stay back here at Camp Heath with all her friends and family, she knew better than to ignore a call from Grau, however vague it may be. "I do actually want to go, even if it is a little weird."

"A little?" Storm couldn't help but scoff.

"What can I say?" Iris pleaded. In all honesty, she really did think she should heed this summons simply because it may be something important about the Gifted. Iris couldn't miss out on that.

"Well, if you really insist on going, I guess no one can stop you," said Storm. "But I do insist on coming along this time!"  
"What?!" Iris exclaimed. Although a part of her did always love going on missions with Storm, a larger part of her was currently terrified. What if this summons was about the Gifted? Storm wouldn't be allowed in! And even though it might've been dishonest of her, there was no way Iris was going to tell the blond about her Gift. She had been sworn to secrecy and was intent upon keeping it that way, however cruel or irrational.

"The summons might not be for me," Storm allowed. "But it's a free country. With Captain's permission, I can go where I please."

"Are you sure?" Iris tried to come up with a good reason for Storm to stay behind, but none came.

"Absolutely," Storm replied, not understanding why Iris seemed so averse to her coming along. At last, however, Iris was forced to allow Storm permission to come. If she kept denying Storm, her secret would be in bigger jeopardy that it currently was, and that was saying something! The tiny brunette could only hope that some other Gifted would be there to help get rid of Storm just long enough to see what Grau wanted.

So together, the young couple spent two hours riding to the western mountains and, as soon as the cart came to a halt, the duo dismounted and rode the elevator up to the peak of the Camp Reed base.

"Did your letter even say where to go?" asked Storm as they reached the mountaintop.

"Honestly, no," Iris replied. "But I guess we can ask around. Are you ready?"

"Of course," Storm nodded casually, then she followed Iris as she took the lead inside the main office building, letter clutched tightly in her hand.

In the end, it was Westford who helped Iris find her way.

"Oh! Iris!" Westford ended up nearly tripping his over feet when he saw the tiny brunette jogging towards him.

"Westford! Hi!" Iris smiled up at him awkwardly. It was clear that, despite being in a very committed relationship with Storm, she still found Westford to be very cute and attractive. They may not have seen each other in a long time, but that old fondness was still there. And that feeling also appeared to be mutual, given the way Westford's dark blue eyes were roaming fondly over Iris' body and face. Time had not faded much for either of the two brunettes. Storm growled to interrupt the young Mapps' gawking. It did the trick and Westford snapped to attention at once.

"Why has Captain sent you?" he asked, clearly intimidated by Storm's impressive and protective scowl.

"Actually, it wasn't Captain," Iris explained, handing him the letter from Grau. Westford's face got serious at once and he nodded slowly.

"We've had a few others come in with letters just like this," he said. "I can't tell you for sure what's in store for you, but I know that my parents are going to want to see you pronto. Follow me!" the young man gestured for Storm and Iris to follow him back down the hallway they'd come. It was clear Storm didn't like taking orders from him, but she neither said nor did anything to him as they passed hall after hall. Instead, she just kept a possessive hand on Iris' shoulder for the whole time the three of them had to work as one. Iris couldn't help but laugh a little at this gesture.

Eventually, the trio reached an elevator that would've taken them to the top of the Camp Reed main building. It wasn't that high up, but the way things were laid out, it was the highest point in Denbar. The elevator went straight up to that last floor, coming to a dinging stop and opening up to reveal a small upper level. There were a couple conference rooms and offices. The only one currently in use was a conference room towards the middle right of the hall. Westford led them over to it, opening the wooden door silently as he ushered his charges inside. There, just as promised, sat Westford's parents. But there was one unexpected guest. The Chief of Denbar herself. Iris and Storm inhaled sharply. This summons had just gotten wildly more important. If only the three, Chief and the Mapp parents, didn't look so unwelcoming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: OK, here we go, now we're getting back into the plot! Sorry for the fluff-filled delay, y'all.


	50. Nuke

"And why are they here?!" Northson was the first to speak as Westford, Storm and Iris entered the private meeting room.

"They were summoned," Westford answered calmly, though it was clear his father's temper made him nervous.

"By whom?" Northson continued to snarl. "Don't you understand how dangerous this is?!" Westford flinched at his anger, but he stood firm.

"It was Grau," he said, boldly approaching Northson as he gave him Iris' small letter. Northson read it with cold blue eyes, darker than Westford's.

"Hmmm," he growled at the tiny paper, rereading it several times just to intimidate the interrupting trio in the doorway. It worked.

"Let me see it," Southlynn demanded softly, after a few moments. Although she understood her husband's anger at being interrupted and intruded upon, his intimidation tactics were not necessary, especially not since it was their own son who was doing the interrupting. Sure, Southlynn didn't give the boy a free pass to do as he pleased, but she knew him well enough to know he only ever called attention to himself if it was desperately important. He wouldn't have dared interrupt this meeting unless it was that big. Besides, like Westford himself had said, this was not the first time Grau had sent some seemingly random soldier in, demanding that they partake in this meeting. So Northson's intimidation tactics were entirely unnecessary, and Southlynn was going to put a stop to them. Poor Westford was scared enough of the man as it was.

"Here," Northson obediently handed her the note. Her own brown eyes narrowed as she read the letter. It was just as short and vague as all the others, but she still read every last letter twice to be sure. Yup. It was genuine. She nodded to herself.

"Thank you, Westford," she said. She did not look up at him, but instead continued to reread the little letter. Westford, however, understood what she was commanding and bowed politely to her before excusing himself from the meeting room, headed back to where he had come from. On the way out, however, he gave Iris a slight tilt of the head and a little smile, an obvious farewell. Iris returned the subtle gesture before facing Northson and Southlynn with a straight face again.

At the same time, Southlynn finally let her rich brown eyes flicker over to Westford's retreating figure. Real warmth was written upon her face as she watched him go. This might've been a serious meeting, but Southlynn loved her baby boy. She wanted to make sure he knew it too, looking up to smile at him right before he was out of her line of sight. She was conveying to him that she loved him and that he never had to be afraid of her, ever. He got the message clearly and smiled back, genuinely relieved to see that she was still on his side. The moment he was gone, however, having shut the door again as well, that loving smile left Southlynn's face at once.

"Well, Ms. Long, if Grau thinks you deserve a spot on this secret council, then so be it," Southlynn said as she reread the note yet again. She put the note down, however, to give Storm a guarded look. Usually, the leader of Camp Reed would've been far kinder, but in a moment like this, Southlynn knew to be wary of everyone, especially of battle-hungry folks like Storm. And she wasn't mentioned anywhere in Grau's letter.

"Sorry, ma'am," Iris apologized, understanding what Southlynn's wary look at Storm meant. "I insisted she come along just in case we were doing something dangerous. It's my fault she's here, but may she stay anyway? You've heard of her deep sense of loyalty and duty, I'm sure. She won't say a word if you tell her to keep this secret," the tiny brunette continued to plead on behalf of Storm, taking the fall for her attendance.

Storm found this a little embarrassing, needing Iris to represent her, but she had the good sense to keep her mouth shut. If she wanted to be part of this endeavor, she needed to get permission, and that would only happen if Iris could vouch for her. So Storm put away her pride, let Iris speak, and made a submissive gesture, tilting her head down to show the Mapps that she was willing to listen to whatever they had to say, even if she didn't personally like it. Iris hadn't been kidding when she said that Storm was very loyal and dutiful. As stubborn and proud as Storm was, she would follow orders until the end of time. It was part of the reason she was so revered as a fighter. Along with being insanely skilled in battle, the woman followed commands perfectly and was incredibly honest and reliable. Southlynn did, in fact, know this, and although she was still wary to tell another person about this crazy master plan, she decided that Storm deserved to know.

"She can stay," the leader of Camp Reed decided. Storm let out a very quiet breath of relief, glad she hadn't been dismissed.

"What?!" Chief and Northson cried their protests, but Southlynn only raised a hand and both fell silent at once. Northson ranked lower than she did so he had the good sense to heed her warning and Chief, although the supreme leader of Denbar, knew she was in Southlynn's home now. If she wanted answers, she would have to play by Southlynn's rule. It was so funny, how many people wrote Southlynn off as overly maternal and sacrificing. They seemed to forget that there must've been a reason behind her ascension to the leadership role of Camp Reed. Clearly, maternal love was not her only trait, even if it was a large one. There was still definitely something far bigger rippling below her calm surface, and now Denbar was getting a reminder that Southlynn was nobody's fool. Not if she was Camp Reed's leader.

"I trust her. She is a good soldier and an even better person," Southlynn said. "Besides, I can see it in her eyes that she already knows. Isn't that right?" Southlynn tilted her head and gave the taller woman a knowing smile. It was a strange kind of smile, equal parts understanding and equal parts black-mailing. But that summed Southlynn up pretty well. She was impossibly kind, gentle and lenient, but at the same time, if anyone dared cross her when she asked them not to, she would not hesitate to bring her full wrath down upon them. She could read even the most deceptive of people as easily as she would read an open book. She knew exactly how to play people. She knew she could trust Storm. And it wasn't just because Storm's biggest goal in life was to be the most perfect soldier she could, obedience included in that goal, but it was because Southlynn knew even daring Storm wouldn't have the nerve to cross someone as cunning as her. They were both dangerous women, just in different ways.

"That is right," Storm wouldn't have dreamed of lying to Southlynn, or any of her leaders in a million years, even Grau. "I've seen the letter, and even though I don't know what Grau wanted Iris for, I know that this isn't the first time he's called her away to do his bidding."

"So there is no point in dismissing her," Southlynn spoke as if this were the most obvious conclusion in the world. "She already knows of Grau's interest in Iris and of his sending her here to us tonight!"

"But she can't know too much yet," Northson argued. "Send her away while we still have the chance. Just ask her for her silence!"

"No. The curiosity would kill her. That would be too cruel to do to her," Southlynn said. "I vote that we let her stay."

"But what use will she be?" Northson continued. "Even if you do trust her with all our secrets, what skills does she have that can be useful?"

"Well, maybe if you would tell me what you're even planning, I could tell you that myself!" Storm dared to say. As much as she tried to respect any and all authority, to hear Northson talk so casually and cruelly about her like she wasn't even there was enough to drive her nuts. She'd tried to take his open disdain with a submissive posture, but there was only so much she was able to bear before she would snap.

Now here she was, daring to challenge the husband of the leader of this crazy plan. It was a risky move, but a mix of curiosity and anger at Northson was overpowering the blond and she wanted to know what the heck was going on. Why was Iris needed anyway? What did Grau have to do with anything? And why was Northson acting like Storm would be useless despite knowing she was the best soldier in all of Denbar? The woman demanded all of these questions and more.

"I'm sure I could be of use if only you told me what your end goal was!" Storm almost pleaded. At last, then, Southlynn answered.

"A nuke," she said. "We are building a nuke. We are going to send those Noctifers sky-high and anything left alive will be slaughtered, either by us or by the radioactive fallout. That's our end goal: to build a nuke…" Well, that wasn't an answer Storm, or Iris, had expected…

Southlynn smiled grimly at Storm and Iris' stunned expressions. Southlynn had needed to break this news to a handful of other seemingly random soldiers that Grau sent in occasionally and this reaction was pretty much the same one everyone else had. It was still kind of funny though.

"I'm sorry, a what?" Iris asked at last, once her ability to speak returned to her.

"A nuke," Southlynn repeated calmly. "We are building a nuke..." and then she explained.

In WWIII, the whole reason the war ended as quickly as it did was because, back then, humanity used these nukes to utterly destroy each other. It was only a miracle that there was even a fraction of land left standing after that mass bombing of the entire globe. That fraction of land was once a very large country called 'North America', though after the bombing, it was greatly diminished in size. But some land did still survive relatively unscathed and, anyone who had been in that area of the country at the time, survived as well. Or at least, they mostly survived. Even after the bombs dropped and the rest of humanity was incinerated, there was still the fallout to deal with, and that monster shaved off quite a few of the surviving humans until the final number was only 500 at max. But nature would always find a way...

In time, any surviving lifeform, be it plant, animal or human, began to develop a resistance to some of the radioactive chemicals that ruled the land, sea and sky. It took centuries, but this developed resistance became a natural part of every survivor's gene sequence. With this newly made resistance, life finally had a chance at rebuilding itself on what little remained of the planet. In addition, the fallout began to decay. It was still a very slow process, but with radioactivity decreasing and resistance increasing, life started to flourish again. As humanity grew again, Denbar was created. It was the first genuine form of community and government since before WWIII. Denbar built itself from the ground up, entirely new. From then on, nuclear war became a lost art. Now, though, Southlynn was trying to bring it back, and all in the name of ending the Noctifer War. In her mind's eye, they would return to centuries ago one last time. They would recreate these devastating bombs for one last battle. And why?

"They don't have the same radioactive resistance we do," Southlynn said excitedly as she continued to explain her devious plan against the Noctifers. "If we can successfully use a nuke, we will be rid of them forever! There will be none of this silly retreating and returning centuries later! They will just simply be gone! And even if the initial blast doesn't kill them all, our foot-soldier follow-up and the fallout will!"

"But isn't that dangerous?" Iris trembled at the thought of bringing back mankind's deadliest weapon. Some things were better left forgotten.

"It's either a nuke or Noctifers," Southlynn reminded the tiny brunette. "We either take our chances now and use a nuke, or wait until something else crops up and we lose a bunch more lives in the process."

"As if the nuke itself won't do that?" Chief spoke up for the first time. "Sure, humanity can survive nukes and fallouts, but that's no reason to test the limits! Besides, we may be immune, but we are not immortal. These bombs could still really hurt us! And not just in the short-term."

"I understand, Chief," Southlynn promised. "I know you're worried about spreading the fallout and hurting Denbar, but I still think it's worth the risk! We've taken all kinds of calculations to perfect the blast radius!"

"But that's all they are! Calculations! You haven't even built the bomb yet! Let alone test it!" Chief argued.

"No, but we're in the process" Southlynn said. Chief looked flabbergasted that Southlynn had pretty much just thrown herself under the bus in that she'd confessed to having already started this project without government consent. But Southlynn continued to speak, still unruffled by all that was transpiring. "All we have right now are theories and ideas, but is that not where all great things have come from? Theories and ideas are what started humanity's first steps towards progress! If the Old World could build a nuke, so can we. We may not have any clue how to do it, but given what we know about their immense power, we at least have a start!" Southlynn was very passionate about her idea.

"You're insane," Storm decided at last, finally speaking up. Iris was still looking totally lost.

"Perhaps," Southlynn smiled sadly, finally calming down just a little when she realized that she was the only one in the room to be this excited. Even Northson had his doubts and he was her biggest supporter. "But I have a good feeling about this. Besides, Iris, that's what you're here for."

"What?" Iris was startled into words as Southlynn turned to her. "What can I do? I'm not strong or smart enough to build a nuke!"

"Sure you are!" Southlynn said. "But you didn't just come to help build the bomb."

"Then why am I here?" Iris was getting more and more confused by the minute.

"Grau sent you because apparently, has a specific job for you in the nuke plan," Southlynn said. "Something about some special skill?" she trailed off, but that was all Iris needed to hear to understand at once…Oh, joy of joys. Grau was insane, wasn't he?

"Do you know why Grau sent you?" Chief asked, rousing Iris from her thoughts again.

"Not at all," she replied, though this was a lie. Even if she had no clue how her Gift could help build a bomb, she knew full well that Grau intended for her to use that Gift to aid Southlynn in any possible way. Wonderful.

"Hmmm, that's what the others said," Chief was whispering to herself at that point, but Iris heard her. So the other Gifted had come through! And they had all lied too... Iris hoped that Chief's suspicions weren't getting too high.

"Wait, but what is this skill that Grau was talking about?" Storm interrupted.

"It's a very private matter," Iris replied. She felt bad about hiding this truth from Storm, but it was something nobody else could know.

"That's what the others said," Chief repeated. Iris exhaled softly. Good. She hadn't said anything wrong yet.

"But what skill?" Storm pressed again, feeling very left out.

"It's private," Iris repeated. It pained her to keep secrets, especially from Storm, but she didn't dare disobey Grau. Not with so much at stake.

"Either way, if it's true that you know what he called you here for, then you are certainly on our secret council," Southlynn interrupted what might've been another argument. Iris nodded in response to Southlynn's implied question and gave the woman a grateful smile. She still felt awful about hiding from Storm, but she was relieved that Southlynn was helping her evade the question. If only for a bit longer. Southlynn gave the tiny brunette the barest of smiles in return, a mutual respect and understanding passing between them.

"But what about me?" Storm butted back in, refusing to be left out of the loop. She saw the way Iris and Southlynn had looked at one another. There was something fishy going on here and Storm wanted to know!

"Yes, what about her?" Northson agreed, finally also returning to the talk, sneering down at the fierce soldier.

"I say that she stays," Southlynn answered calmly, going back to their earlier argument.

"What?!" Chief and Northson both argued.

"She already knows too much," Southlynn pointed out.

"But that's no excuse!" Chief and Northson cried.

"Well then I'll give you one!" Storm interrupted again. "I can do the manual labor!"

"The what?" Chief and Northson turned coldly on the lithe blond.

"I can help you physically build the bomb," Storm repeated, and she was being serious. She already knew she wasn't nearly smart enough to get all the math and science behind building a bomb, but she certainly had the physical strength a bomb builder would need! Much as she hated manual labor and much as she hated admitting that she wasn't smart enough to do the brain work, she was more than willing to sell herself out for her strength if only it meant she wasn't kicked out of this group. Like Southlynn had said, she already knew too much. To send her away would be torture. She would have no one to talk to and no way of figuring out how the bomb was going. She already knew the secret now anyway.

Southlynn and Northson continued to debate over this point. Southlynn wanted to keep Storm on the project simply because Storm was a good person and soldier. Even if she wasn't smart, she was strong and honorable. She was a good ally to have in any scenario. Her ability, or lack thereof, with math and science meant nothing. Besides, she already knew, so they as might as well keep her on anyway. It was too late to send her off now and expect her to forget all of the secrets she'd learned today. She could definitely help in manual labor, if nothing else.

But Northson continued to claim that Storm would compromise them all, spilling secrets and being generally too stupid to help out. Maybe he was partly right, but Southlynn continued to insist that she would find a way for Storm to help and that intelligence didn't equate to worth. Storm didn't need to be smart to be helpful. And it was very wrong of Northson to call her stupid. The ability to memorize or understand complicated thought processes were not the only facets to intelligence. There were at least eight other types of intelligences and not all of them related to math, science or literature. Northson seemed to forget that, but Southlynn was more than happy to remind him. And once again, unlike Northson, Southlynn had total faith in Storm that Storm would not spill any secrets. She knew Storm was a very quiet person. She was the least likely of any of the other crew members to talk. Had Northson forgotten some of the other soldiers Grau had sent? They were the ones Southlynn really worried about. Storm would be dead silent compared to some of them. So in Southlynn's brown eyes, all of this was a moot point.

Chief, meanwhile, was totally silent. She, too, was observing everything that was going on. Her impossibly dark blue-gray eyes didn't miss a thing, nor did her sharp ears. Old and gray as she was, she was still very strong, physically and mentally. She was even sharper that a dagger and knew exactly what she was looking for. Although she understood and agreed with Northson's reluctance to allow Storm on the project, she was starting to side with Southlynn. Storm would be a very valuable ally in any scenario, like Southlynn said. Besides, they could easily lie to the soldier about the true nature of the project and give her busywork disguised as serious operations. That way, she would still be bound to them, but nothing had to be given away unnecessarily. It was a win-win. Chief would gain an ally and Storm could be easily placated. Leave it to Chief to never miss a thing and always know how to keep people tied to her. How else had she become Denbar's supreme leader but through cunning? She knew how to win and maintain a crowd. She knew how to give them what they wanted so that they, in return, would do likewise to her.

"I vote that Storm stays," Chief said at last as the Mapps continued to argue. Iris and Storm, who had listened silently with their heads bowed, looked up eagerly at this. They were both shocked that Chief herself was siding with them, but it was a huge help and they weren't going to question it. Southlynn gave a content smile. It seemed that everyone was ok with this. Except Northson. But he was outvoted.

"What? Why?" he demanded as Southlynn, Chief and Iris all voted yes for Storm to stay. He sputtered angrily.

"Because she will be a valuable ally," Chief responded, unbothered by Northson's questions and anger. Instead, she let him ask every last thing he could think of and she easily disarmed all of his own arguments. At last, the Camp Reed deputy was forced to surrender.

"Fine. She can stay. I vote it too," he grunted, but he didn't look happy.

"Excellent," Chief gave him a mysterious and dark smile, then she turned to Storm. "Welcome aboard," she said and Storm gave her a weak grin. The blond didn't regret her choice to join this council, she just wondered why Chief had suddenly changed her position. What was the sly old woman thinking and what had Storm just gotten herself into?

So, Storm was in. The conditions and agreements were clear. But what about Iris? Grau may have asked specifically for her, but why? Her purpose wasn't as obvious as someone like Storm because at least Storm was famously strong. But what about Iris? As the meeting went on, Chief studied the tiny girl, trying to understand what Grau had seen in her. Chief wasn't one to judge, instead always interested in seeing what someone else could see that she might miss. She was open to new viewpoints in case they revealed to her something that could be of future use. That included trying to figure out why someone as seemingly plain and tiny as Iris would be in a nuke team. Iris, however, had begun to understand. While Chief could only muse on Iris' hidden virtues and wonder how she could exploit them for future use, Iris already knew the answer.

Grau wanted Iris to use her Gift of decay to help with the aftermath of the bomb. She would use her Gift to decay the elements into their lower, safer states. It would be an impossibly long, hard and dangerous job, but it would minimize collateral and maximize safety. Using Iris' Gift of decay, the bomb's fallout would be very low, so it would be safer to drop it. Iris smiled grimly. Grau never missed a thing, did he? Even if the others couldn't see it at first, he always had a plan. She just wished he wasn't so frustratingly vague about it. But now that things were coming clear, Iris was more than happy to agree. The idea of a nuke was still scary, but her Gift would help decrease its threat upon humanity.

"What do we do next?" Iris asked, trying to steer the conversation away from Storm and back to the bomb.

"Well, if you do know that Grau wanted you here for a specific reason, then you know that several others have come here too," Southlynn began.

"I do," Iris promised, she may not have known how many of her Gifted friends were officially on this nuke council, but she was beginning to understand that it wasn't just her. She wasn't a special snowflake and she certainly wasn't the strongest or most talented Gifted. It made perfect sense that Grau was just bringing her here today to practice her decay powers. She could only wonder what everyone else's role was in this mess.

All the while, Chief nodded slowly as she continued to observe silently. This was just like all the other kids Grau had sent in here. Though she still had no clue why that crazy old man was sending youngsters to help with the nuke, even she was willing to bow to him in times like this, though she did promise to have his head if any of them were injured in the duration of the operation. As much power as she was giving Grau, Chief had since promised him that if anything went wrong, she would not hesitate to shut him or anyone else on this council down. She was still the supreme leader, after all, and her word was always the last. It was only her willingness to listen to others that made it possible for so many diverse people to have as much power as they did. But Chief could so easily take it all back, and she would if anything happened to these youngsters. She may not have been a warm or cuddly woman, but she cared deeply for her people, especially innocent ones. And who were these young soldiers barely at the age of 30 other than innocent? Chief would not senselessly endanger any of them.

"Then you also know that each of your teammates has a purpose in this operation," Southlynn continued over Chief's musing. Iris nodded again. "I have shown all of them our work. Now I will show you," she rose from the table, the others doing likewise.

"We're going to see the nuke?" Storm asked. Iris could hear the displeasure in her voice regarding Iris' secrets. The purple-eyed soldier made a mental note to apologize and try to explain as much as she dared before the night was over.

"Yes," Southlynn said. "Follow me," and everyone held their breaths as Southlynn put them back in the elevator and unlocked a secret button, taking them way down into the heart of the 10,000 foot Camp Reed mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry it's been a few days. College is still busy. But with the weekend here... You get to see more of this BS sci fi WWIII bomb stuff!


	51. Submerged Secret

"Well. I've never seen this place before," Iris whispered once the elevator doors opened again. They were standing on a small platform that encircled a small pit, bright lights placed in and over the pit. Nestled right in the middle of that pit was a large, silver, egg-shaped device. It was about 10 feet in length and two in diameter. No one needed to ask what it was.

"We only just built this place when we started building the bomb," Southlynn explained. "Since nukes don't necessarily need to be that large, all we needed was just to add something of a basement. We aren't even too far underneath the normal inhabitable areas of the mountain!"

"Oh? And which of your labs is the lucky one to host this nightmare, pray tell?" Chief asked sarcastically.

"The chemistry one, obviously," Southlynn shrugged. Chief cast a glare at her and began to speak, but never got the chance to.

"Rexus!" Iris' excited cry prevented anyone from saying anything else and all heads turned in the same direction Iris was facing. Sure enough, one of the few people presently tinkering with the little bomb was Rexus. Iris just hadn't noticed him at first, too engrossed with the nuke itself. It really wasn't that physically intimidating, but Iris herself knew that small size could still be wicked powerful.

"Iris!" Rexus returned the greeting, looking up and smiling when he met her purple eyes. Beside him was a young woman with short, dark red hair and a large brown birthmark that spanned across the left half of her face. Rexus and this girl both walked away from the bomb and towards a little staircase that led up to the ring-shaped platform that Iris and the others were still standing upon.

"Ah! Hello Chief, Mrs. and Mr. Mapp," the young man and the woman both bowed to the three leaders.

"We brought you two more," Southlynn beckoned for Iris and Storm to step forward.

"Pleasure," Rexus told them both with a polite smile. The girl with him said nothing but mirrored his smile.

"So, you know what you're doing?" Chief questioned the copper-eyed soldier.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied with another little bow.

"Then, I suppose I will leave you to it," it was still clear she was a little less than thrilled with the bomb production and adding Iris and Storm both into the mix, but it appeared that this was going to happen regardless of her own opinion. For that, she knew it was best for her just to let it go and allow the Mapps to run their operation freely while she followed their orders and stayed back. True, she could issue an executive order to shut all of this down, but it would only create more troubles for Denbar. Besides, the bomb still wouldn't be ready for quite awhile more. If something did come up in the interval, Chief still had lots of time to issue a shutdown of this project. Until then, she would bide her time and see what happened. She didn't become the most powerful person in the world by being arrogant or impulsive.

"Excellent," Rexus bowed yet again, then he turned to Iris and Storm. "Let's roll," he said and the two parted from the rest of the group.

"Best of luck," Southlynn told the departing quartet before she took her own two comrades back to the above world. Iris smiled weakly at her before turning away after Storm, Rexus, and the redheaded girl, facing the pit below.

"Let's roll," Rexus repeated as the elevator shut behind them, then he led the way down the stairs and right up to the little bomb.

Although that initial room, that pit, wasn't too big at all, Rexus revealed that this one pit wasn't all that there was to it. There was another area, far more locked up, where all the dangerous chemicals were being dealt with, made and tempered to fit into this little metal exterior. In addition, though this was actually still a real work in progress, was yet another chamber even deeper within the Camp Reed mountain.

"Well, it's more of a tunnel," the redheaded girl corrected Rexus. "It's going to lead to the stretch of land between the edge of our mountain and the western sea. It's where we're going to be doing the bomb testing to see if it all goes as planned. She gestured to a door on the wall farthest away from that main little staircase and explained.

"Through that door is the chem lab that Rexus was talking about, but then within that lab is another door and that leads to the tunnel I'm talking about," she said. "But we won't go in today. Not until you guys have been thoroughly screened and given proper protective gear."

"Oh yeah, and fair warning, the protective gear is the hottest, heaviest sack of clothing you will ever wear!" Rexus interpolated with a grimace.

"Well, it's either that or the radiation poisoning," the redheaded girl reminded him.

"Oh, shut up, Oliver," Rexus grunted in reply, but he was smiling.

"Oliver! What a nice name!" Iris commented. Oliver looked pleased while Rexus slapped his forehead.

"Ah! I forget to introduce you guys properly!" he admonished himself. "Yeah, this is Oliver Alreth, my little sister!"

"Pleased to meet you properly," Oliver offered to shake hands with Storm and Iris while looking playfully at her forgetful big brother.

"Oh hush! This whole Bomb Project that we keep getting new people involved with makes it easy to forget who knows what and who and who doesn't!" Rexus pretended to grumble again. His eyes seemed to glow a little bit as he said this and Iris noticed. She understood what he was saying and suddenly, a strange sense of urgency washed over her again. She had almost forgotten that she was now officially part of the Bomb Project because she was supposed to help with the fallout. With Rexus' implied reminder, she suddenly was keen to get to work and all of her general curiosity and interest in the bomb had turned into a more specific, burning question, although it was one she could not ask. At least not with Storm, and possibly Oliver, in the nearby area.

As Iris shook Oliver's hand, she took the moment to study Oliver's eyes to see if she was Gifted or not and was surprised by what she saw. Oliver's left eye was blue, a peculiar shade, but the right eye was a normal hazel-green. Huh?

"Your eyes!" Iris exclaimed without thinking.

"Ah. I was born this way," Oliver replied with a shrug as she dropped Iris' hand. For a moment, Iris could only stand and stare, but then suddenly, she realized that she had literally just done the very same thing that so many others had done to her for all her life. She had questioned someone's strange eye color, calling it out and demanding to know how or why. She, inwardly, slapped her forehead in dismay and admonishment. Now she was having her age-old statement thrown right back at her! How embarrassing!

Storm, who had been right beside Iris this whole time, saw Iris' dismayed expression and new at once what the tiny brunette was thinking and she laughed a little. Iris heard the sound and looked up at Storm with a frown, elbowing her slightly when she saw a knowing light enter those blue orbs. Storm only continued to laugh and elbowed Iris right back while Iris could only stew in her embarrassment.

"Anyway, I suppose that now that you've got a basic rundown of what's up, it's time to get your actual assignments," Oliver suggested.

"Ah! Yes! Allow me!" Rexus interposed. "Or rather, Oliver, you can take Storm and I will take Iris!"

"Wait, what?" Storm's laughter ceased at the idea of being separated from Iris. Wasn't the whole point of her coming along to stick with Iris? And wasn't Iris something like her free ticket into this submerged secret? Why were they splitting up now?

"Oh, cool! What's my first assignment!?" Iris asked loudly, talking over Storm and silently hoping that the woman wouldn't try to insist that she needed to stay with Iris. As much as Iris adored Storm and Storm's company, now was really not the time. Iris could sense that Rexus was about to tell her why she was really here and that secret could not be spoken if Storm was in the area. Storm had to go, at least for a little. She finally turned to the taller, older woman. "I'll be fine, Storm," she promised. "Rexus is a friend. I trust him. I'll see you later, I'm sure."

"Well, ok," Storm still sounded uncertain, but she allowed Oliver to lead her away while Rexus and Iris moved in the opposite direction.

"So, what have the Gifted been working on all this time?" asked Iris as soon as Oliver and Storm were out of earshot.

"Clever girl," Rexus grinned at her. "They've been building the nuke and test their own Gifts. Each one is going to be needed in the last battle."

"How many are here right now?" pressed Iris.

"Just us," said Rexus. "We had Emerald and Wilde here a little while ago, but they both just left and Jalux is still with Grau doing xyr OOOEE."

"Oooh, boy, that must've been fun, having Emerald and Wilde at the same time!" Iris snickered. The rivalry between Wilde and Emerald was almost as bad as the one between Emerald and Iris.

"We kept them far apart," Rexus promised, knowing exactly what Iris was referring to. Emerald's diseases hadn't actually been very useful in helping build the nuke, but because she was still a Gifted, she had been granted the knowledge about the submerged secret.

"Oh! I forgot to ask! Is Oliver a, uhhh, a Gifted?" Iris broke Rexus' train of thought about the nasty Emerald.

"No," Rexus shrugged. "I know what you're thinking, but she's entirely normal. She has no powers or heightened senses. She's non-Gifted."

"But her eyes!" Iris began.

"Are a mystery," Rexus finished. "Don't worry, I've asked Grau and he's proven that she's not a Gifted, though her left eye might indicate otherwise," Rexus shrugged again. "I'm the only Gifted of our family, no matter what you may think."

"So is being Gifted a recessive trait?" asked Iris, partly joking and partly serious. She, having no siblings and being adopted, was not quite sure how the trait managed to pass itself through the ages, though it was clear it must've been highly recessive, given the rarity of the Gifted.

"It would seem so," Rexus laughed. "Though she and I were both adopted from different places, so we aren't technically genetically related, whether in comparison to each other or our own parents."

"You were adopted too?" Iris blinked in surprise. Rexus nodded again and Iris accepted the answer easily enough. Adoption was hardly rare in Denbar, it being just as common as having a genetically related child. At the same time, though, it was just a tad frustrating because Iris really wasn't clear on the matter of how the Gifted gene would pass because she kept forgetting to ask and with Rexus not being genetically related to his parents either, he couldn't help.

"Well, either way, she isn't a Gifted, but I am, and I've got a job to do, and it includes teaching you what you're going to be doing in this master plan," Rexus continued.

"I'm guessing it has to do with cleaning up the fallout," Iris said.

"Spot on," Rexus grinned dryly. "We already set aside some nuclear waste and we want you to go in there and see how much you can dissolve."

"You must be mad," Iris muttered but Rexus only shook his head, grin getting larger, as he tossed the smaller Gifted a HAZMAT suit. Then, he grabbed one for himself, suited up, and led Iris into that little chem lab off to the side. Apparently the whole, "needing to be screened and properly fitted" had only been a lie to get Storm out of the vicinity. Iris still felt bad about doing such a thing, but she understood why it had to happen and she allowed Rexus to lead her into that side room.

"We're gonna need someone to help clean up our mess when we're done blowing everything up, so have fun practicing!" Rexus said once he and Iris were both towards and emptier corner of the lab. There was one small room, that was more like a booth, within that corner and, inside that room, was a cup of must've been radioactive material. He pushed Iris towards the booth's well-protected doors and let the tiny brunette have at it. Meanwhile, he remained right outside, peering in through the thin slit of glass to see how Iris reacted with the chemicals in that otherwise completely sealed room. She spent a few moments just staring at the tiny, glowing cup before finally, shakily, stretching a hand out over it.

Several minutes later, the girl came back outside of that little metal booth and nearly collapsed, dead tired.

"Did it?" she gasped, on the floor. She was drained of energy, but it wasn't to a dangerous amount. She was just going to need a nap now.

"Yes," Rexus promised, kneeling beside her both in awe and concern. The girl smelled like a strange brew of burning chemicals and sweat. It was the smell of progress. He quickly donned his own suit before entering the room and scanning the cup of waste. It had all been decayed down into a safer element. Wow. She had done it. Iris had actually done it. She had successfully induced radioactive decay in a matter of minutes when it could've taken centuries upon centuries. They had a cleanup plan! So the nuke was one step closer to becoming a feasible reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This was a cringey chapter because of what I had Iris do and how fast she did it and how unprofessional the design of this second underground lab is. I apologize, but unless anyone has any ideas on how to make it more realistic, this is what it's gonna be.
> 
> (Just to recap, Camp Reed's main hub of activity is on the mountain's peak, but there are a few labs right underneath the surface. This new pit for the nuke is below even those labs and has only been built recently as the nuke is still relatively new. If anyone else has any questions about the layout of this camp, please ask and I'll try my best to explain!)


	52. The Pit

But even though Iris had proven that human-induced radioactive decay was possible for her, she was still not ready to do anything as giant as cleaning up fallout from a bomb, no matter how small the bomb was. After all, what she had cleaned up was a small cup of radioactivity in a contained chamber. Her next goal was going to be far bigger than that.

"And it's going to take a crazy amount of training," Rexus grinned grimly as the girl finally came around. She did ultimately end up fainting from that little radioactive decay spell, but she was fine now that she'd been able to rest. The duo was currently in the Camp Reed Hospital.

"Wonderful," Iris groaned. She did like using her Gift, finding it physically enjoyable to use, but that had been insane. Decaying a radioactive element took so much effort on her part that it almost felt as though her own muscles and body were withering away. It was kind of like any night she was trying to stay awake while being so tired that it became physically impossible to keep her eyes open. Using her Gift to decay that material, though possible, had been very tiring and she'd come out feeling dizzy and light-headed. The idea of doing that on a far larger scale was a little more than intimidating, especially given that she'd only wiped out a single cup. And it had been such a strange sensation too! It felt like she was holding a cluster of small dots and was trying to take each of them apart simultaneously. The only problem with that was, after taking apart those dots, she was left with even more dots and had to take those apart, ending in even more dots, and so on and so forth. And those dots had vibrated the whole time, twitching and almost protesting as she tried to figure out where she could "pull" them apart to get them into safer level.

"But we're going to take it slow and steady and, to be honest, what you did was pretty darn impressive. I'm not in any rush," Rexus told the young girl. "Obviously, we can't wait forever, but the bomb itself still needs far more building and calculation and you aren't the only Gifted Grau is using in the pre and post attacks. Trust me, you've got time to practice," he smiled down at her.

"Good. I'm not the only one who's going to be training their butt off…" Iris sighed, banging her head into the pillow she was resting on.

"Oh, definitely yes, we're all going to be very, very, very, very, very, very, very, busy," Rexus gave a miserable laugh.

"But your Gift is pretty much already done, right?" asked Iris. "You can clone yourself nine times over and you never seem to grow weary no matter how long they're out or how far away they go from you!"

"Well, while you're right that I'm doing pretty well, I still have a long way to go," Rexus said. "You better believe it's hard to keep so many version of me in control all at once," Rexus paused to laugh. The more clones he had out and about, the more scatterbrained he became. It was like, even though he had multiple bodies, they were still all sharing the same mind. In addition, it did get tiring, the longer and further away the clones got, even though it may not have seemed that way. He was just good at making it look like he was in total control. In actuality, the whole process was still quite fuzzy and he wasn't as far along as Iris seemed to think. It was flattering, he had to admit, but it was nothing but overestimation. "Iris?! What's wrong?! What happened?!" Storm came storming into the Camp Reed Hospital a moment later, eyes glittering with anger and concern. Oliver was running after her, trying to slow her down, but Oliver might've had an easier time trying to harness an actual storm than the determined woman that she was trying to hinder presently. Storm just kept on walking, not even responding as Oliver kept stuttering out protestations and trying to physically halt Storm. Admittedly, though, Oliver wasn't trying too hard to do anything physical, probably afraid that touching Storm would result in getting sucker-punched across the room and off the mountain. Storm wasn't exactly known for liking to be touched, even if it was as simple as a hand on the arm. Oliver could only run helplessly after the mighty soldier, still babbling ineffective pleas.

"Wait! Wait! If it's true that she's hurt she might need some alone-time!" Iris and Rexus heard Oliver stutter as she went back and forth between grabbing at Storm's arm and leaving her be. Storm continued to ignore it all, however, brushing past Oliver as though she was no more than a fly.

"Iris? What happened? What's going on? What's wrong?" she continued to demand as she strode through the hospital room and to Iris' bedside. Once there, she physically shoved Rexus aside and right into Oliver and she took the place at Iris' bedside that Rexus had been at before.

"Whoa, hey Storm, take it easy now! Calm down!" Iris sat up, raising her arms to stop Storm's little rampage.

"But I heard you just fainted! Out of nowhere and right in the middle of the facility!" Storm insisted, eyes narrowed, still angry and worried at the same time. Iris had to admit that it touched her heart to see how worried Storm got for her, but it really wasn't necessary. Besides, the real reason for her fainter wasn't something anyone other than Rexus could know. How the heck did Storm even find out anyway? Oliver had kept her distracted elsewhere and Rexus had quickly escorted Iris out of the Pit as soon as her little demonstration was done. Who had seen Iris' collapse and been able to tell the tale fast enough that it would reach Storm's ears?

"I think it was just some of the radiation," Iris lied, knowing full well that wasn't how radiation worked. "I think I just wasn't taking proper safety precautions and I ended up hurting myself! But I'm fine now, see?" the girl sat up and wiggled her arms, legs, fingers and toes. "See? Totally fine!" she insisted. "I still function!"

"Sweet Denbar, Iris! Could you be any more carless if you tried?" Storm demanded, ignoring Iris' feeble attempts at soothing her.

"Well, that's the thing," Iris began with a sheepish smile, knowing she was about to really get under Storm's skin. "If I tried, I wouldn't be being careless. The very act of being careless means that you didn't care/weren't trying, so your statement is kind of an oxymoron…"

"Iris Long!" Storm slapped her forehead in dismay and annoyance.

"Just kidding, just kidding," Iris raised her hands in defense, failing to mask a laugh. Behind Storm, the Alreth siblings were laughing as well, having heard her smart-aleck remark. Storm, meanwhile, was not amused. She had been, as expected, doing a lot of the grunt work of building a bomb, moving heavy materials and attaching things to the bomb.

It wasn't entirely unpleasant and it wasn't that hard, it was just tedious and boring. Besides, it hadn't been fun to wonder where Iris was. And to answer the question of how Storm had found out about Iris' fainter? Well, what Iris didn't know was that, after she'd fainted and Rexus had delivered her to the hospital, he had returned to the Pit on his own to whisper the news to Oliver. Storm had been a few feet away from the Alreth siblings during that time and Rexus had been doing his best to hide behind a large piece of metal, but Storm had seen him and managed to shift herself close enough to hear them speak. The moment she managed to catch, "Iris is in the hospital", all of her internal alarm systems had gone off. She managed to keep herself calm enough to finish the task at hand but, the moment she was done, she had made up the lie that she needed to return to the surface world. That was when her little rampage began, walking straight ahead towards Iris despite Oliver's repeated attempts at hindering her, not that any of those attempts were very impressive at all. Pathetic little girl...

"I'm fine, Storm. Honest!" Iris pleaded gently, seeing that her attempts at using humor to brush this all off wasn't working.

"Are you sure?" Storm sounded insistent, but she was willing to talk now that Iris was finally taking this seriously. It was the blond's concern that Iris didn't seem to understand just how much she mattered to Storm. Sure, Iris knew Storm loved her, but she did know how much? Did Iris not see how uncomfortable it made Storm whenever Iris treated her life like something petty or easily replaced? Because it wasn't. And she really wished that Iris wouldn't trivialize the things she went through. It wasn't healthy, bodily or mentally or emotionally, for either of them.

"Yes, I promise," Iris vowed, purple eyes 100% serious.

"Really? Like, really really?" Storm demanded once more.

"Yes," Iris' voice was somber, solemn and serious, the last traces of humor gone. This reply should've satisfied Storm, but she still couldn't help the feeling that there was something else Iris was hiding from her... But she was willing to let that go... For now...

"Just be more careful next time, ok?" the blond asked at last, taking Iris' hand and kissing it lightly. Oliver and Rexus turned away politely when they saw this, sensing that this was a more private moment they shouldn't be watching.

"Shall we?" Oliver whispered so that only Rexus could hear. He nodded in reply and the two siblings took their leave of the hospital, giving Storm and Iris their alone-time. They figured, anyway, that it was about time Storm and Iris were given a small break. They weren't desperately needed at the moment, so they could have at least a bit of time to just sit and think things over. This certainly had been a lot of information shoved at them all at once, it wouldn't be fair to force them back down into the Pit so soon. They could wait for that.

"You just can't scare me like that, ok?" Storm pleaded as soon as the Alreths were gone.

"I wasn't trying to. Honest," Iris promised again. It really did touch her heart to see how much Storm cared.

"What even happened?" the blond pressed again. "And don't just tell me it was a lack of precaution on your part. I know that. I'm not at all surprised by that. I mean, what actually happened? Were you walking through a radiation chamber or something? Was there a leak? What?" Storm continued to ask, trying to get Iris to see that she wanted a real answer and not just these cryptic clues Iris had been leaving her with thus far.

Iris bit her lip as Storm continued to ask. Her mind raced, trying to come up with a feasible lie. She still hated having to do so, but as long as Grau thought it would be best to keep her power secret, then she was going to keep her power secret. Maybe that didn't make any sense for her to be adhering to his command so strongly, especially given that her relationship with him wasn't anywhere near as strong or positive as her relationship with Storm but, for some reason, although Iris had thought about telling Storm the truth on multiple occasions, if she ever actually tried to do so, she would suddenly feel really... queasy, and wrong. Like, the idea of breaking Grau's commandments made her skin crawl and made everything feel out of order. She had since chalked it up to her good-girl, rule-behaving personality, and she hated it. She knew respecting authority was a positive trait, but she hated how impossible it seemed to disobey Grau. All they had in common was one tiny little recessive trait that had inserted itself into the human gene pool entirely by accident, that shouldn't be enough for her to feel so compelled to do as Grau asked, but it was.

"We were touring a part of the Pit that holds all of the chemicals they're trying to put into the bomb," Iris began. "Rexus wanted me to help with chemicals since it was a more delicate part of the operation and you know I've always been very maneuverable and agile because of my small size," she paused as Storm agreed with that. "So he was just showing me around, talking about the chemicals, and we had suits and masks and stuff, but maybe I just wasn't used to it yet or maybe there was like a hole or something in my outfit because I just kind of, well, passed out…" Iris paused again, but when she saw Storm's unsatisfied look, she continued on weakly. "I honesty don't know what happened. That's all I can think of. I mean, why else would it have happened near the radioactive part of the Pit? It must've been the chemicals! But I don't know..."

"No one ever said anything about fainters before," Storm muttered lowly. "I guess you're still not ready to be working with them…"

"No, no, I am, I am!" Iris promised, a bit too vehemently. She couldn't afford Storm losing her this position because she really was needed on this front, even if Storm couldn't understand why. "I just need to get use to it, but I am still fit enough to work here."

"Well at least let me join you," Storm sighed. "I can work with chemicals too, if maneuverability is all that's needed."

"Uhhh, well, they probably need you on the strength front more," Iris tried to cover herself.

"No, they've got a lot of muscle already there," Storm shook her head. "But it sounds like the chemical workers are already pretty understaffed as it is. I can help with that if I don't need to know any of the science behind the stuff."

"No, that won't be necessary," Iris continued to try and get Storm to back off.

"Sheesh, Iris. You're just so stubborn, aren't you?" Storm couldn't mask a smirk despite how serious their conversation was. "I promise that I'm not trying to baby you or be overbearing."

"I never said you were," Iris replied, relieved that Storm had yet to demand why Iris was so insistent that they work apart.

"But you're implying it," Storm reminded Iris.

"Am not," Iris argued.

"Am too," Storm replied.

"Am not," Iris argued.

"Am too," Storm replied.

"Am not," Iris argued.

"Am too," Storm replied.

The two went back and forth for a little bit longer before Iris pretended to give up in despair.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked.

"You're going to listen to me for both of our sakes," Storm replied, still smirking. "And you asking that question? Well, now you know how I feel pretty much every single day of my life!"

"I guess I'll try," Iris sighed. "And I suppose you're right. This is a taste of my own medicine."

"Glad we agree," Storm kissed her cheek. "Now maybe you should get some rest."

"I was trying, until you barged in," Iris pretended to grumble.

"Oh, shut up," Storm replied with a fond smile, but she backed away respectfully anyway, satisfied that she had finally at least gotten Iris to promise that she would at least try to take better care of herself. That would be enough for now. Storm was ready to let Iris take a well-earned nap.

Now, Storm still didn't exactly want to leave the tiny brunette alone, but she figured that it would be best for Iris to have some alone time, just like the Alreths had suggested. Besides, it was crazy early in the morning. It almost felt weird to say it, but it was true! Iris and Storm had left for Camp Reed towards the start of the night and it had been non-stop ever since they first stepped onto the underground subway. The trip over was two hours, the meeting with the Mapps and Chief had been about half an hour, and the subsequent first shift in the Pit had been about three. Without even meaning to or realizing it, Storm and Iris had been awake and busy for an extra six hours past their normal bedtime. It was time everyone got some sleep, so, while Storm left Iris to sleep off her stupor in the hospital, Storm went to the Camp Reed dorm building and crashed on a bed, out in a mere two minutes. It had been a long, hard night and, given what Storm understood right now, many similar ones were in store for her yet. As for tonight, though, she was still not ready to do more than sleep.

Though, a day later, both Storm and Iris were back hard at work. Even though the bomb wasn't that big, it still took a lot of time and effort to safely and correctly assemble the monster. It was made even harder by the fact that it was being built deep below ground. So Storm always, literally, had her hands full, carrying materials in and out while trying to fit the pieces together. Iris was busy too, continually practicing her ability to decay larger and larger quantities of radioactive materials. The girl got better and better every single practice, but she still ended up being worked to the brink of exhaustion. The practices were grueling, no matter how necessary they were.

"Sorry," Rexus apologized as the girl nearly fainted yet again.

"There's no point in apologizing when you know you're just going to do this to me again and again," Iris grunted, angry and tired.

"True," Rexus laughed. "But hey, you've gone from one small cup to two small cups," he tried to encourage.

"And then, by the time the war ends, I'll have to deal with an entire mountainside," Iris groaned, already dreading that time.

"That's why you've got to keep working," Rexus reminded. "You're still not ready to do anything too big."

"Don't I know it," Iris growled. "I'm just really tired and sore. I feel like I'm decaying myself more than anything else!"

"Nonsense! You've been doing wonderfully!" Rexus countered.

"Easy for you to say," Iris pouted. "You've only been watching me do all the work!"

Iris and Storm didn't spend all their time lost in the Pit, however. Sometimes, they were back on the surface. Moments like those were no less entertaining than the days they spent in the dark depths of the underground.

"Iris!" a familiar voice cried out to the purple-eyed soldier later on that day and she turned around to see the one and only Danielle Boemker running at her with her tablet ever in the crook of her arm.

"What the heck?! Whose kid is that?!" Storm demanded as the little blond came to a halt in front of Iris, blue eyes impossibly wide and happy.

"Hey, Danielle!" Iris greeted fondly. "How have you been? It's been so long!"

"It's been a year!" Danielle laughed. "Literally! I'm about to turn 15!"

"15? Wow! Congrats!" Iris and Danielle continued to greet one another fondly, catching up on a year in which they'd only been able to talk via letter, computer or phone. Storm, meanwhile, only stared with mouth agape, trying to understand.

"Wait. What? 15? Only 15? Last year? What?! Whose kid...?!" Storm continued to stutter to herself, trying to understand. Meanwhile, Iris and Danielle ignore her entirely, Danielle talking a million miles per hour about every new discovery she'd made since last she spoke with Iris in real life. It didn't matter that half of her discoveries didn't even have anything to do with the war or army (being things like new online games, shows, artists, writers, books etc.) she just went on and on, talking to Iris all about her own life, trying to fit about 365 days into 365 seconds. It was an impressive and entertaining feat to Iris who didn't understand most of what Danielle was saying, but she didn't mind much, content just to listen to the pleasant noise of Danielle's voice. Storm, however, finally demanded some answers.

"OK! Enough with the TV shows and video games! Enough with comic books and tablets!" she demanded of Danielle, interrupting the girl's life-story update. "Who the heck are you and how are you legally in the army at age 15?!" she cried. Seeing that Storm had finally snapped, Iris and Danielle both began to laugh loudly and Danielle, through her laughter, finally explained her story to Storm.

"They're insane!" the taller, older blond cried as she looked at the smaller, younger blond. "They let a baby in the army just because they had nothing else! They're insane! They are all literally insane!" she slapped her forehead while Iris and Danielle moved off to get something to eat, still stifling laughter as Storm's head continued to spin in disbelief.

All throughout their meal together, Storm could only shake her head, unable to comprehend that they would've let a child join the army, let alone give her a high-ranking position of power and prestige. She was a designer of the nuke! Of course, she couldn't really come out and say that, but she had been able to communicate to Storm and Iris that she was just in-the-know about this top secret project as they were.

"I'm working on the exterior design," Danielle said, showing them pictures on the same tablet that never left her arm. She looked very smug as she swiped through drawing after drawing of different potential shapes and styles. "The one being built now is just one of many. Since you know we've got to go through a testing phase, we're also trying out different sizes and shapes and that's where I come in!" she continued to brag.

"They're insane!" Storm muttered as she and Iris leaned in to study all of Danielle's drawings. Some of them had been made into 3-D models through various CGI programs but others were still only sketches on the notepad of her tablet. Either way, though, all of it was quite impressive. This 15-year-old girl was designing a nuke. Who would've ever thought that Denbar would've come to this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This was somewhat of a transitional chapter, just me trying to show you how things are progressing. Sorry if it wasn't too exciting, but hey, at least we had a bit more fluff between our two lovebirds (the classic worry-arguing mixed with playful banter)!
> 
> Also, if the end with Danielle seems a bit out of place, you're kind of right, but as Danielle is based off of a real friend of mine who is probably my most avid reader of this fic, I think she deserves this little bit of the story to herself. So yes, shout out to you, Danielle, for putting up with this story so faithfully. You're the best! (She's penguinlover611 on Wattpad if anyone wants to check her out).


	53. Impromptu Reunion

But once the impromptu reunion with Danielle was over, the young girl was forced to retreat back to her underground room.

"I've got a meeting to attend to," she sighed ruefully, hopping out of her chair and backing away from Iris and Storm. It had been a lovely meal and all, but her tablet's little alarm was starting to go off and Danielle knew it would be wise not to ignore the sign. Maybe meetings were boring, maybe she wasn't even allowed to directly join in (having to hide in the rafters), but she didn't dare miss a single word. Doubtless, too, it would be about the nuke. Since she was a major designer of that nuke, she couldn't exactly just start skipping meetings because they were boring.

"What about?" asked Iris before Danielle could scamper off into the shadows again.

"Nukes," Danielle replied with a dry smile, verbalizing her silent thoughts. "What else? They want more designs to critique," she waved her tablet. "I've got to get work on that. I'm a horrible procrastinator and Northson won't be too pleased if I don't have any alternate designs by the time the meeting starts!" the girl gave Iris one last farewell, waving another thermos of tea she was sneaking down to her room. Then, without another word, she was gone. Into the shadows, the girl with a tablet of nuke designs and a thermos of tea had vanished.

"What in Denbar was?" muttered Storm as Danielle disappeared from view. She was 99% sure that this little kid hadn't stopped talking for a single second in the whole hour or so she and Iris had been together. And she rambled too! It was just a continuous stream of words and, in Storm's mind, they were all of little value. They were just of crushes and TV, games and stories, plans that she'd never finish and all the ideas she had for new plans (which would also never be finished). Storm was amazed Iris hadn't been driven mad by all that talking about such idle and stupid things! Storm knew she was about ready to puke. Storm was sure that if Iris had spoken 15 words, Danielle would've spoken 15,000.

"Just an old friend," Iris laughed apologetically as she saw how irritated Storm looked. Although both women were in agreement that Danielle talked on endlessly, Iris found it endearing while Storm probably would've liked to slap a huge piece of tape over Danielle's trap.

"A chatty one at that," Storm grunted, confirming Iris' suspicions and making her laugh a little.

"Tell me about it!" Iris agreed. "She's a great girl, really intelligent, but there are moments when I wonder if she has an off switch."

"She does, if you believe her remark about procrastination," Storm observed. "I just can't believe they let a kid in the army, and to design a nuke no less! Don't they know how genuinely dangerous that is?" the woman paused to shake her head. "I know your books and movies like to display children as the underdog heroes who will lead a country to freedom and victory, but that just doesn't happen. In reality, people at that age are far too mentally and emotionally unstable to save a world. Danielle shouldn't be here."

"Tell that to Northson," Iris replied with a snort, but she agreed a little.

As much as she liked Danielle, the girl really wasn't mature enough to be in the army. She might've had some qualifications, but it was more than just physical fitness or intelligence, it was also patience, empathy and foresight. Those traits came with time, and 15 years was not enough. Iris didn't really come to her own senses until age 16.5. That was when, for her, those last traits of childhood selfishness finally turned into a more empathetic worldview. Danielle, empathetic as she was, was still really too young to serve properly in the army. Bringing her here had not been a good idea. She just needed more time to mature, grow up, but hey, it was the Mapps' call. Iris wasn't going to fight them on it. So long as Danielle didn't do anything stupid and/or get herself killed, Iris was content with letting her serve, even if that wasn't the world's best idea.

Storm felt the same. She knew she would never be able to look Danielle in the eyes as equal, seeing them as far too different in terms of personality and emotional temperament and age. Sure, she'd respect Danielle as a human, but as far as Storm was concerned, Danielle was not a real soldier. She might be here legally, but she lacked that which made everyone else a real soldier: age and experience. She was still just a kid. 15 might've been adolescence, but adolescence was part of childhood. It wasn't real adulthood. It was the threshold before adulthood. Danielle was still 50% kid, but like Iris had pointed out, she was here with 100% protection, so there was nothing Storm could do about her being in the army.

"So now what?" asked Iris after Danielle was gone.

"Should we go back down to the Pit?" Storm suggested, glad to be rid of that little blond chatterbox. Even Iris hadn't been that bad and she was pretty talkative too, when she wanted to be. But at least Iris had an off switch, which Storm was infinitely grateful for now after meeting Danielle.

"Alright," Iris agreed easily enough, then the two made their way back to the main building's elevator, both of them briefly wondering how Camp Heath was doing without them and whether or not they were missed. This mission didn't seem to have a clear-cut end. But once the duo reached that secret lower chamber within the Camp Reed mountain, they wouldn't want it to end even if it could. Or at least, Iris wouldn't have. Storm, on the other hand, looked like she was starting to meet her wit's end.

"Jason Lockewood?!" Iris exclaimed, and sure enough, it was. Iris' ex and his new lover were part of the nuke team.

What followed was another impromptu reunion. After having hardly spoken to Jason since the Camp Greene mission, Iris was suddenly suffering from a Jason overload where he ended up eagerly telling her all that had transpired between then and now. Iris was more than happy to listen in to all of his story and updates, but Storm was having a hard time keeping her patience. First, there was Danielle, rambling and ranting on endlessly about the most random and unimportant things in the world. Now here was Jason, going into far too much detail about his whole life story instead of just getting to the point and shutting up again. Storm really did hate people. How did Iris tolerate it?

But to get to Jason's story, following the Camp Greene mission, he'd done all he could to go back and be with Lianna Spyre again. The two entered a committed relationship and were, in fact, able to be successful long-distance lovers, quite the feat in Iris' purple eyes. The few long-distance relationships she'd seen people enter didn't often end well and she, herself, didn't think she'd be able to handle one like that too well. To hear that Jason was able to make it work was so adorable. Almost sickeningly so.

Somehow, Jason had turned into the world's biggest sappy romantic ever since dating Lianna. If anyone had thought his days with Iris were bad, including kisses, flowers and cheesy jokes, it had nothing on his romance with Lianna, which included all that and more, including matching outfits and jewelry. It was enough to make Storm nearly puke, despite her and Iris owning matching swords. But cheesy romance aside, Jason genuinely had been struggling to find the excuse to return to Camp Greene to be with Lianna again. It did work and the boy was continually moving back and forth between Greene and Heath, but of late, they had been spending a lot of time in Camp Reed. It felt like everyone Iris knew was all working on the bomb now, including friends as old as Jason.

"See, Lianna is an old friend of the Mapps and, because of that, she was asked at once to join in on the bomb squad," Jason said.

"So he and I have been here ever since!" Lianna agreed. The two of them were holding hands and leaning upon one another, matching necklaces shining even in the darkness of the Pit.

"And how long has that been?" asked Iris.

"A bit over a month," Jason replied. Iris whistled lowly. This was barely her first week. Was she the last to know about all this?

"Yeah, it took a lot of time to draw up this plan and then even get people to start talking about it," said Lianna. "Then, even once we got the idea circulating, we still had to start bringing it to life and that required tons and tons and tons and tons and tons of consent and paperwork from pretty much everyone from here all the way over to Camp Steuben!" she added with a weak laugh.

"Well, it looks like you got things started, at least," Iris tried to remind the beautiful young blond.

"Perhaps," she agreed. "But we still need to start building the monstrosity!"

"But how long could that take?" Storm scoffed as she listened to the ridiculously sappy, happy couple talk. "I've been there, helping them build it and it wasn't even that big to start with, right? How much more is left?"

"Well maybe this first iteration is nearly done, but keep in mind that we have to test it, and probably several others," Lianna explained. "Your work isn't even close to being over yet," she warned. "We can't just drop the bomb! We have to make sure it works and will work the way we expect! So yeah, we aren't even just building one bomb, tough as that is. We're building multiple!"

"Well, surely it still can't take that long!" Storm cried in exasperation. "I understand that we're going to be building multiple nukes, bombs, whatever, but seriously, how long can that take? None of them are that big and you have all kinds of fancy equipment to help you put the little monsters together. And you have all the parts and pieces too!"

"It's a nuke," Lianna growled, crossing her arms angrily. "Far more dangerous and more complex than a typical fire bomb. And keep in mind that this is a weapon this world has not seen in literally thousands of years because the last one to ever go off destroyed everything on this planet except for us. This is a delicate mission, to put it into terms you might understand. You can't rush perfection!"

"But you want us to all be alive by the time you finish, yes? And not dead from old age?" Storm continued to goad the blond.

"Maybe you won't be around. But I will!" Lianna replied evenly. Iris and Jason only exchanged helpless looks before both of them subtly dragged their girlfriends apart. This impromptu reunion wasn't going quite as well as the one with Danielle.

But Iris understood it was because Storm was still trying to recover from Danielle. The last thing such a cranky and introverted woman needed was more chatter, but that was all Jason and Lianna had to offer, being as lovey-dovey as they could, along with having to tell every story with the utmost detail. Iris could see why this was annoying to Storm, but she found it quite entertaining. Jason was still her good friend and she liked to know what he'd been up to for all this time. She liked knowing he was doing well and that he did have another girlfriend now whom he was very happy with (and whom was very happy with him). Seriously, the matching necklaces weren't even just that! During all their time together, Iris had been able to get a closer look at them and realized that they were of each other's names. Lianna's necklace said "Jason" and Jason's said "Lianna". The tackiness was off the charts with those two. But Iris found it quite cute. She'd never do something like that with Storm, but it was cute to see. In addition, it was interesting to try and figure out just how long this nuke had been floating around out there. Apparently, it was far longer than expected. In fact, Iris almost wondered if maybe it had been in the works since before she ever even joined the army, it just had never been able to come to light until just recently.

"So how did you meet the Mapps?" Iris finally asked Lianna after the girl finished telling yet another story about her time with them.

"We go way back," Lianna shrugged. "I was friends with their son in elementary school."

"Awww! How cute!" Iris cooed, heart melting at the mental idea of a baby Westford.

"Sweet Denbar," Storm rubbed the bridge of her nose in disgust.

"Well sorry if you don't have the world's happiest life, Storm," Lianna growled. "But that doesn't give you a right to ruin our memories!"

"But this has nothing to do with war!" Storm argued impatiently. "I'm not trying to ruin memories, but now isn't the time for nostalgia! You aren't talking about anything of real importance or relevance now! You're just going down memory lane!"

"I didn't realize you were only allowed to talk war while in war," Lianna shot back. "Denbar forbid we have a different topic of choice, eh?"

"But I'm sick and tired of hearing things that aren't important!" Storm argued.

"Then maybe you should shut up. That way, you wouldn't hear your own voice!" Lianna cried.

For a solid five seconds, no one moved and they barely even breathed, then suddenly, Jason began to bawl in amusement. His howling laughter echoed the Pit and caused several other workers to look up in surprise and confusion. Iris was the next to start laughing, failing miserably to hide her own mirth at Lianna's witty remark. She covered her mouth and tried to subtly turn away from Storm, but it was still easy to see her shaking with laughter and tiny noises of amusement still escaped her covered mouth. Lianna only smirked in satisfaction, doubly pleased with her own remark and the reactions it garnered, from all three of the other people in this conversation. While Jason and Iris were laughing, Storm was looking at Lianna with an unspeakable anger that would've terrified pretty much anyone else except for maybe Iris, Captain, Maxim, Gale and Tempest... and Lianna, who still looked quite smug. This only angered Storm even further.

"If you ever talk to me like that again, I will find a way to have you formally discharged from the army!" she threatened softly.

"Because you can afford to take the time and effort to lose such an important figure," Lianna deadpanned. "Who needs to get perspective now on staying focused on the war and not going off topic or task?"

"Still you, so long as hearts are blocking your eyes," Storm growled. "You aren't that important to the army anyway."

"Oh, no. Oh no, no, no, no, no… I am more important to this army than you could ever know," Lianna spoke lowly, softly. There was something so serious and implied within her voice that Jason and Iris both ceased laughing at once, but Lianna continued to speak, not allowing room for questions as to what such a statement meant and how she could be so certain.

"Besides," she continued. "It is better to be blind with love than hate, which does nothing but waste everyone's energy and mood. So grow up, shut up, get over yourself, and leave us alone!" she finished with a very firm tone of finality. The awkward silence that had started from the moment Lianna dared to imply her own immense value in the army seemed to strengthen now that Lianna had just actively back-talked to Storm and treated her like an immature little child, telling her to behave and act her age. Both Iris and Jason were almost afraid of Lianna now while Storm was in a true fury now. Rage surged through her body like nothing else and she had never wanted to harm any fellow soldier so bad before (except maybe for Venderwarp, but Storm didn't even find Maxim this audacious or annoying!) The blond could only glare at Lianna, physically trembling with anger. Lianna, however, didn't even look away, instead meeting Storm's icy blue eyes, unafraid.

"Oh hey! I just remembered that Rexus actually didn't need us down here in the Pit until later!" Iris cried at last, breaking the tension-filled silence. Even though she found Lianna's insults to be endlessly witty and maybe a little deserved on Storm's part, she knew she'd better do something about Storm before Storm murdered the blond in her rage. She didn't want her ex's lover's blood on her hands. She carefully dragged her own lover away from Jason's and tried to calm her down. Jason took the hint and did likewise with Lianna, a look of understanding passing between him and Iris as they forcibly dragged their lovers to opposite ends of the Pit's circular platform where this argument had occurred.

"I know Lianna was being a jerk," Iris began as soon as she and Storm were on the very opposite side of the platform, out of earshot of Jason and Lianna both. "But so were you. As unimportant as romance is in a time of war, it's still not meaningless and it really isn't fair to criticize what people choose to talk about. We've heard enough about war already, what with the nuke and stuff," the tiny brunette continued to remind the older, taller woman. "I can imagine what you must be thinking and feeling, especially in a time like this, but sometimes you just have to let it go. I know that's not something you want to hear, but you can't win all your battles. Everyone needs a break every once in awhile, it was just bad luck that everyone seems to have reached that point all at the same time. But you must be patient with them. I have no doubt every little last person in this camp, regardless of how much they know, is working as hard as they can. Can you try to understand that for me? Please?"

Somehow, it did the trick, and after a few more minutes, Storm finally managed to calm down. Sure, she was still mad at Lianna and her insults, but she allowed Iris to calm her into a more normal state of mind. Maybe Storm wasn't cut out to be Lianna's friend. So what? She had Iris, and that was enough. Besides, like she'd been saying all along, they did have a war to win, so even if Storm didn't have Iris, she was still busy enough to forget about Danielle and Lianna if only for a little.

Besides, as Iris pointed out, both Jason and Lianna were wicked smart. It would be a real loss to lose them. Jason's near-photographic memory was always a useful tool and Lianna, herself, was incredibly sharp. She understood the nature of life and knew how to plan things accordingly, being a master strategist. She also had the type of mind that was all-encompassing. She, by default, would think of every side of an argument and every possible solution to a problem, no matter how obscure. It was a skill that the average person lacked, the average person trying to think of a few basic ideas that would work. But not Lianna, she would ponder every single possible route to success. Her mind was as wide and open as Denbar's grassy fields that dotted the landscape. In addition, Lianna was just able to predict outcomes and figure out rational and successful roads to every end goal she had. She wasn't just good at speculation and finding alternative methods, she was good at mentally testing them out too and figuring out logistics and success rates, often times unearthing a better plan that what the average person might've come up with. In short, she was a very deep thinker, even treading upon the impossible side of things, just for fun.

Jason and Lianna, gross as they were with their love-dovey ways, were still very competent and very necessary to the army. Lianna hadn't just been bragging when she said that she would be very hard to remove from the army, especially now, because of her and Jason's amazing mental skills. But Iris did have to admit that it seemed like Lianna was implying more than she let on. Valuable as she was to the army, when she'd told Storm it would be pretty darn hard to remove her from the position, it almost sounded like she was referring to something else outside of her own skill set. Iris could sense this implied threat, but had no idea what to make of it. She wanted to know, now, curious as to what other resources Lianna had at her disposal, but she knew she'd never get a straight answer from the girl. Then again, Iris was hiding some pretty large secrets too…

So Iris chose to let the issue with Lianna slide and continued to try and calm Storm down a bit. Storm allowed herself to be placated by Iris before returning to the impromptu reunion with the happy couple. They had more work to do either way, so it was best if Storm just shut up and got back to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Yeah. I got nothing. Onto the next chapter!
> 
> (Thanks again to penguinlover611)


	54. Celebration

The days came and went and Iris and Storm both continued to help Camp Reed build its nuke. In time, however, both of them were finally sent home, free to go. Sure, the bomb and Iris' Gift still had a lot of work left to do, but the Mapps finally agreed that Storm and Iris had served long enough with them and should be allowed to return home.

"We cannot thank you enough for coming to our aid," Southlynn told Iris and Storm, having pulled them aside one day. "But now we think it is time you got to go home, unless you wish to stay with us. We will never deny you a home here, but we can imagine that you must be missing the one you left behind?" she smiled at them compassionately, leaving them the choice.

"Well, thank you for your generous offer," it was Storm who decided to answer. "But I think I speak for both Iris and myself when I say that we would like very much to go home, back to Camp Heath," Storm cast a glance at Iris and Iris nodded, confirming what Storm had said.

"As you wish," Southlynn replied, and that was that.

A few hours later, Storm and Iris were standing up Camp Heath grounds again.

"Ahhhh! I've missed this place!" Storm stretched and rolled her shoulders. "Finally away from those snobs and weirdos!"

"Oh, come on now, Storm! We have this discussion every time we come back from a Camp Reed mission," Iris laughed.

"And I still stand by what I say every single time! The mountain air is poisoning them!" Storm insisted, crossing her arms. Iris only laughed again.

"You're impossible. I hope you know that," she said.

"You're one to talk," Storm replied with an amused smile and Iris couldn't argue with that.

But even though Storm and Iris were home again, they weren't just free to lounge around.

"Nope! You still have plenty of patrols left that you could be participating in!" Maxim had reminded them upon the day of their arrival. His tone was laced with disdain and annoyance and it set Storm's teeth on edge.

"Don't act like we haven't been working our butts off! You're just jealous they didn't pick you to go to Camp Reed!" she snapped and although it was a risky thing to say to the camp deputy, it hit a soft spot and, just for a moment, Maxim lost a bit of composure and almost snarled.

"I was not chosen because I was doing far more important work than whatever someone like you must've been called out for! I was not a soldier Captain could spare. He needed me back here to help him out!" the man insisted sharply.

"Oh yes, because paperwork was so much more important than what the Mapps shared with Iris and I," Storm rolled her eyes, ego bruised from Maxim's backhanded jab, but she was still able to retaliate by reminding Maxim once more that it had not been him that the Mapps had chosen to confide in. This reminder obviously bruised Maxim's ego just as badly.

"Just get back to work," he growled finally.

"We were trying, until you interrupted," Storm replied. "But if you don't mind, I have more important things to do than discuss with you!" she said, taking Iris' hand and pushing past the Camp Heath deputy with her nose in the air. She didn't look back, but Iris did, and she saw Maxim sputtering silently in anger and jealously.

"Did you really have to be so mean?" Iris snickered as she turned back around, facing forward again.

"He started it!" Storm complained.

"Sweet Denbar! You all act like a bunch of little children!" Iris sighed in dismay, but Storm wasn't exactly wrong this time.

Maxim had been pretty rude, demanding that they get back to work before they'd even stepped into Camp Heath proper. But it was for the exact reason Storm had said: jealously. Everyone knew Maxim admired Camp Reed for their intelligence and efficiency in all that they did. No doubt it had bruised his ego a lot to not be called back to help out his favorite camp while Storm got to go instead. And it must've been especially painful for him because he held Storm in such low regard, at least in terms of mental ability. Storm was actually very bright, but because she disdained organized learning, Maxim disdained her, and for her to get to go to the smart camp while he wasn't even invited definitely irked him.

"You guys are all so petty!" Iris sighed as these thoughts ran through her head.

"What is adulthood but childhood with higher stakes and bigger playthings?" Storm snickered and Iris, unable to come up with a suitable response, simply rolled her purple eyes and sighed.

More days came and went and Iris and Storm continued to train, engage in combat, go out on missions, go out on patrols, and then repeat the entire cycle all over again. It remained this steady and one-note until September when three special events all happened. The first was Iris' 20th birthday and second year in Camp Heath. The second celebration came very soon after: her one-year anniversary with Storm. One full year. Already. Wow. And it seemed like only yesterday they hated each other! Now, sure, they weren't exactly Jason and Lianna, but they definitely had changed within their two years of knowing each other, and now was the time to celebrate such changes. Then the third happened at the end of the month. Mae and Lester finally became soldiers! After six long months of hard work and dedication, they were following in their daughter and Rusty's footsteps and finally gaining a true rank within the army.

"Oh! I'm so proud!" Iris cooed as she watched from afar. The ceremony was just about to start.

"I know! They deserve it!" Rusty, who sat beside the younger soldier, looked equally infatuated, both of them silently praising the Longs.

"More members to the family! We'll need a bigger table at this rate!" Gale agreed. He, like Iris and Rusty, greatly enjoyed the company of Mae and Lester. Although Gale had already willingly give up his life for his country, there were still moments when he would've liked to rewrite the story and be a father. Talking to Lester about Iris allowed him to vicariously live that life, getting to hear every little detail about fatherhood since he, himself, wouldn't ever be. As for Mae? Well, she was such a sweetheart! How many times had the two, in their down time, just hung out talking?

And sometimes Tempest would join them. She had been the one to teach Mae her basic combat training, seeing it as her chance to finish what she'd started with Rusty. Technically, this duty should've been Dr. Lockewood's, but she was so busy dealing with patients that in the rare time Mae did have to practice some real combat, Tempest was the one to step up and help out. But that was Camp Heath. Although a mentor and apprentice were strictly assigned to one another, other soldiers were free to help out in the training process if they had the free time to. Tempest did not have to teach Lester any basic combat, however, as Lester had spent most his time with Maxim Roths. It was to Iris' great relief that, with the conclusion of this ceremony, Maxim would no longer spend every waking moment with her father at his heels. It would be nice to get to see Lester again without Maxim within a 10 foot radius. That was a celebration in its own way!

"Yeah, how many more relatives do you have?" Storm pretended to sneer in response to Gale's remark about needing a bigger table if Iris kept bringing in family to join the army. This table had gone from containing Storm, Gale and Tempest to also including Iris, Rusty, Mae and Lester. That was double from what it started out with and it was almost funny to see a once-quiet table coming to life with the addition of the Longs and Rusty. There was also something beautiful about it, seeing how easily old soldiers welcomed in new ones. It was especially heartwarming considering that Storm was one of the original trio. She was still highly introverted, but she was becoming more and more open to allowing new people into her life. Sure, she still didn't exactly like the 'in-laws', but there was a mutual respect and admiration on both sides over Iris. Iris' parents understood that Storm really did have their daughter's best interests at heart and, thusly, finally agreed to bless their relationship. This made it easier for Storm to forgive their innocently insensitive ways, them having come from luxury and her from war.

"Oh, you really don't want to know!" Iris laughed. "But none of them are planning on coming, so don't worry," she promised.

"Well, the more the merrier!" Gale shrugged. "Bring as many as possible! We'll make room!"

"Don't!" Storm pleaded. As much as she was trying to put herself out there, she quailed at the thought of Iris' extended family. "Let's just keep it at your uncle and your parents, ok? I don't think I want to have to get a second table over here!" she cried.

"Ok," Iris promised playfully. "I'll just make sure that if they ever do join, they just won't be in this camp!"

"Good," Storm sighed, but before she could say more, Captain stood up and called everyone else to attention. The ceremony was about to start!

Following the end of it, the real celebration began.

"Hey, you guys! I'm so proud of you!" Iris was the first to reach Mae and Lester through the throng of other celebrating soldiers. She ran over to them and they willingly embraced their daughter.

"Not bad for a couple of Old Timers, eh?" Lester joked.

"Not at all!" Iris promised, grinning into their shoulders as they continued to embrace.

"Awww, it's so cute I might cry!" Gale remarked, grinning widely. He wrapped an arm around Tempest who giggled happily in reply.

"Oh, shut up," Storm rolled her eyes, knowing that he was implying that she ought to congratulate the in-laws as well. Gale only shrugged innocently, watching as Rusty quickly joined Iris in embracing Mae and Lester.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Still nothing. Keep reading. Also, penguinlover611 on Wattpad (yes, I'm a shameless advertiser for her), you won't be in the story again for quite awhile, just thought I'd warn you. But you're still awesome and I still appreciate your support!


	55. Gifted Friends and Gifted Enemies

Following the slew of September celebrations, everything else returned to a normal pace. Iris was still called away from Camp Heath quite frequently, but as her routine settled down, those times became rarer and rarer and she was able to spend most of her time at Camp Heath.

"Thank goodness," Storm had joked once. "I was starting to think they were going to try and kidnap you!" she was, of course, referring to her and Iris' very first adventure in Camp Steuben, when Venderwarp had kidnapped Storm to get to Iris to get to Grau. That was an adventure neither of them would ever forget. Had it really been two years ago since that had happened?

"Like I'd ever let that happen," Iris scoffed in reply. Camp Heath was her home, no matter what anyone else said or wanted from her.

"I wouldn't let it happen either," Storm replied with a matching tone and Iris couldn't help but laugh a little. She knew how protective Storm got, especially around the rare few people she actually cared for. Iris was willing to bet the woman would cross all of Denbar just to find her and bring her back home again if it ever came to that. The thought made Iris feel warm inside, despite the fact that it probably wouldn't ever happen.

But just because the two were spending more time together again now that Iris' schedule had normalized, it didn't mean they had all the time in the world to be romantic. There were still plenty of patrols to run and Noctifers to kill.

"You think these guys would finally take a hint and scram!" Jason had cursed during a battle once. He, Iris and a few others were busy hacking away at a small but very lithe and sturdy Noctifer. Iris could've easily killed it with a single touch, but she still had to keep her Gift somewhat secret so she only worked on it little by little, just enough to do damage but not enough to arouse suspicion.

"You would think, but these things are stubborn," Iris agreed dryly.

It had been a long time since she'd fought beside Jason in combat, what with him having practically moved to Camp Reed and all, and it felt really nice to be doing this again. It was almost a throwback to simpler times. Iris thought once of Clover and felt a pang in her chest that she fought to brush off quickly. It had been about a year and a half since the brave girl died, but Iris still missed her sorely, but tears would do nothing for the fallen hero. Instead, Iris was going to honor the brave girl in the best way possible: getting rid of the creatures that had killed her.

"Ah! Got him!" Jason declared suddenly, swinging his sword in an upward arc and catching the Noctifer on the chin. The blow was enough to disorient it so that another soldier could come in with a downward arc and behead it.

"Nice!" Iris complimented the younger soldier.

"Thanks," she replied. Iris didn't know her well, but she knew that this girl was a relatively new soldier. She was impressed to see how well the new girl was doing. Beheading a Noctifer wasn't easy because of how naturally thick-skinned they were.

"Don't celebrate too early," someone else warned. It was Tempest. She was the one leading the patrol. "We've got others coming!"

"Oh come on! Not again!" Jason pretended to despair. Iris only laughed at him.

"Chin up," she told him. "You can't die yet, or you won't be able to see Lianna again! She'd destroy this camp if we let you die here!"

"Shut up," Jason replied, blushing a little. Although he was still firmly a Camp Heath soldier, he'd spent a lot of time wherever Lianna was, which was usually either Camp Greene or Camp Reed. They were still as madly in love as ever and being away from her made Jason antsy, as well as embarrassed because then everyone he knew would tease him over his head-over-heels crush for the brave warrior girl.

"Hey! Duck!" Tempest snapped at Jason and Iris as a bird-like Noctifer suddenly swooped in over their heads.

"Oooh! Thanks Tempest!" Jason brushed his hair. "That thing would've knocked my head clean off my shoulders!"

"And it still might if you aren't careful!" Tempest warned as the bird came back. Iris continued to stay in a more crouched position, but she narrowed her eyes as she concentrated on one of the Noctifer bird's mighty wings. It wasn't a particularly large Noctifer, but she could feel how sturdy the wings were and she was trying to rot away the bone in one of them to knock it off balance. Her trick worked and the thing began to veer off course as one of its wings suddenly stopped responding, the feathers falling right off of it as its skin decayed right then and there. The new girl of the squad took that moment to throw one of her many little knives at it and Tempest finished by knocking it hard on the head with her sword.

And these battles carried on, the only thing that ever changed about them was the combatants.

"Iris! Be careful!" someone admonished the tiny soldier. It was some guy who'd been here long before she'd ever joined the army.

"Don't worry!" she replied cheerfully. "I'm just trying to get a vantage point!"

"But if you don't lower your head, something might come out and take it off!" the man warned.

"True," Iris agreed. Today's battle was being fought towards the edge of the forest and Iris was, currently, in one of the trees, trying to spot any ground attacks. When the man reminded her that there could be enemies in the tree with her, she changed her focus. Although she knew the man had a point, she couldn't help but feel confident that there was nothing in the trees or air that would attack her. Perhaps it was only an illusion, but the girl thought for sure that she could sense the Noctifers now, like she could tell where they were and when and how many there were just by closing her eyes and focusing. Of course, this might be some other byproduct of her Gift, or it might be a soldier's intuition, or it might be her own bravado, but she was 100% sure that she was safe.

"Oh! Hey! I see something!" a new voice interrupted. It was Wilde. Xe had been sent over to Camp Heath after Captain requested some help because his own numbers were dwindling. Tanya hadn't been able to send too many soldiers over to help, but she did send Wilde and, to Iris, this was more than enough. Wilde's control over lightning had increased tenfold thanks to Grau's training regiment and xe was able to send out devastatingly powerful bolts that incinerated scores of Noctifers in mere seconds. Of course, like Iris, xe had to be careful not to reveal any of this, but xe had shown Iris the full extent of xyr powers and the tiny brunette had been quite literally blown away by it.

As of that moment, Wilde was on the ground, but in a similar position as Iris, both of them trying to sniff out any alien enemies. Right now, there was nothing, but Iris could feel Wilde's electricity crackling in the air. If anything did try to attack, it wouldn't last long. At least not as long as there was a soldier with the ability to control lightning with xyr bare hands in the vicinity.

"What is it? What did you see?" the man asked.

"Just a ways ahead," Wilde replied mysteriously. Iris understood this implied command and she honed her purple eyes in. Sure enough, a couple leagues away, was a small band of Noctifers. They were currently inactive, just walking around in circles on the grass, but nobody wanted to take any chances. Iris confirmed what Wilde had seen.

"I'm going to go ahead," she said. "And I want Wilde with me. But you and the others can stay back," she told the man. He seemed leery of taking orders from someone so much smaller and younger, but he could feel an authority within her and decided to grant her this one shot to prove herself. He gestured for her to take the lead. She obeyed and she and Wilde went scampering on.

In just half a minute, the entire little platoon had been turned to ash by Wilde, xyr hands glowing white as xe sent out a large bolt of lightning that seemed to wrap around every Noctifer and hold them until their violently twitching bodies hit the ground, lifeless and slightly burnt.

"Nice," Iris whistled, impressed, the smell of burning flesh pervading the air.

"Thanks," Wilde grinned in satisfaction, yellow eyes starting to dim to a resting color as xe removed the electricity from the air. In terms of raw brute strength, Wilde was probably the strongest Gifted, and this was why.

But sometimes, the missions did take Iris away from home.

"There we go, there we go!" Rexus encouraged Iris as she continued to practice decaying radioactive atoms into more harmless, stable ones. It was still tiring, but she was doing better and better. She was able to do more atoms faster and more atoms more frequently. This was especially handy because the testing phase of the nukes was finally coming into play. So far, two had been tested. From what Iris was hearing from the Mapps and Rexus, everything was going perfectly. Sure, they still wanted just a couple more tests and calculations to confirm, but things were looking up. And at the end of each of these tests, Iris would come in, using her Gift to help clean away the residue. Like Grau had said, being so far underground meant that the blasts were pretty contained, but Iris still challenged herself to clean up the mess as fast as she could to practice what it would really be like when it came time to drop the real deal.

"When do you think that'll be?" asked Iris, removing her heavy HAZMAT suit as she and Rexus returned to the surface world from the bomb testing site deep below ground in the bowels of the Pit.

"I don't know," the copper-eyed Gifted responded truthfully. "But what I do know is that you and the bombs are both coming along very well."

"Thanks," she grinned up at him. "Though I have to say, I'm starting to worry that you guys are going to try and turn me into a janitor once the war is over," she joked, pretending to be humiliated by the thought.

"Nonsense," Rexus laughed. "You'll be a sensation! A hero! You'll just have to clean up first in order to get that title."

"So basically, a janitor," Iris grunted, but she was smiling in pride. She'd come along way from only being able to decay one little cup!

Though Camp Reed wasn't the only place Iris had to go. She also spent a lot of time at Camp Steuben, for obvious reasons.

"Come on, come on!" Grau snapped. "None of you will last more than five minutes if you don't learn how to move faster and harder!"

"Doesn't he know we're trying our hardest?" Jalux complained, limbs impossibly long. Xe had been this way for 30 minutes now, a record! Why couldn't Grau be proud of that? Xyr limbs were really getting sore too!

"He's just being a jerkwad, he's always been like this," Vesper replied to Jalux, somewhat invisible. She was working on bending light around her to create the illusion that she was invisible. There was still a few ripples in her guise, but she was definitely getting there. And of course, in general, her light could still be used to blind and burn, if concentrated into one target hard enough.

"Try harder," Emerald suggested cruelly, still as nasty to everyone as ever. Vesper glared at her, even though Emerald couldn't see it. Even though Emerald bore a strong behavioral resemblance to Vesper, Vesper had never been nasty in the way Emerald had, she had just been a bit crazy. The difference between Vesper and Emerald, in Vesper's mind, was that Emerald tried to be mean for the sake of hurting others and Vesper was only mean when her opinions and decisions clashed with others, thereby creating the illusion of cruelty. In short, Emerald was actively mean while Vesper's was passive and just a result of her lack of inhibitions and tons of opinions. For that, even Vesper didn't like the whiny green brat despite them being relatively similar. There was a very strange mix of Gifted friends and Gifted enemies in this little circle.

"Ok. Fine. You're right," Jalux agreed grudgingly. Emerald's impossibly green eyes narrowed warily as Jalux agreed with her statement but before she could even open her mouth, that green eye became a black one. As Jalux spoke, Emerald had turned around to look at xym and try to discern any sarcasm within xyr remark. The moment Emerald was facing xem enough, xe suddenly extended xyr limb forward, right at Emerald's exposed eye, fist clenched. In short, Emerald was sucker-punched by a six-foot long arm that had extended from the shoulder at a surprisingly swift speed. So, Jalux was expiriemnting with how fast xe could extend xyr limbs? Well, it certainly seemed to work!

Iris, and Wilde who was nearby, fell over from laughing so hard. Vesper began to cackle too, reveling in Emerald's humiliating defeat.

"That was awesome!" Wilde complimented Jalux as xe pulled xyr arm back in. Jalux looked very pleased with xemself. "What a great trick!"

"Why you little-" Emerald, however, was not so amused. She erupted into a string of swear words as stretched out a hand and began to emit diseases of varying type out from her body and into the surrounding area. Through her swollen black eyelid, a sickly green glow emitted as Emerald activated her devastating Gift. The other Gifted only continued to jeer at her, despite the danger that came with remaining around her and her Gift for too long. Emerald, enraged by their cruel laughter, only forced the diseases to come out in stronger dosages until a few of the weaker Gifted finally began to show symptoms of whatever was working on them.

It was only Grau and Kit's intervention that kept everyone alive and made sure that no one moved beyond an initial stage of coughing or a few light spasms. If Emerald had gone unchecked, however, things might've gotten far messier and it was doubtful any of the other Gifted would've bothered to run. Instead, their stubborn and foolish pride might've encouraged them to continue to tease Emerald even as her diseases surged through their veins.

"I understand that tensions are high," Grau hissed, voice oily and slow. "But that is no excuse for treating one another so shamefully. You are all comrades after all, fighting one battle under the same banner. Or have you forgotten that already?" he tilted his hooded head and instantly, everyone's head drooped, either from shame or fear. Grau really knew how to make one's skin crawl. But even though Iris, Wilde, Emerald and Jalux all agreed to be nicer next time, that didn't stop Jalux from intentionally stepping on Emerald's foot before Kit healed them all, cleaning the diseases from their veins. Or rather, the diseases remained, but Kit would repair the tissue damage and replace the cells that were lost from whatever effect the diseases had. In time, it was like nothing had even happened, minus the lingering hostility between Emerald and the others.

"Honestly, though, I wish you all would at least try to get along with that poor green girl," Kit said after Grau had gone. Emerald had since stalked off as well, planning on finding some wild Noctifers to take her anger out on. Vesper had also disappeared, though nobody knew where she had gone. Next to go was Jalux, planning on staying as far away from Emerald as possible for as long as possible. A goal shared by nearly everyone else except Grau and Kit (for some odd reason).

"You need to be nicer to her. It's a small wonder she's so mean to all of you because Denbar knows none of you have ever been very kind to her!" Kit continued to remind Iris and Wilde, the only two Gifted still within that particular area of the secret bunker.

"But she started it!" Wilde complained, pointing to the place where Emerald had gone.

"What are you, six?" Kit demanded in response to Wilde's childish remark, even though xe was technically correct.

"Gladly, if it gets you to see what a nasty little monster Emerald is!" Wilde insisted stubbornly and Iris couldn't help but agree.

"But you don't even know her!" Kit reminded the two young Gifted. "She could be in serious pain and all you two do is harass her."

"So because she might be unhappy, that gives her the right to take all her anger out on us?!" Wilde demanded, skin crackling with lightning.

"No. But that doesn't give you the right to sink to her level," Kit responded calmly, unafraid of Wilde's little display. Ey had known Wilde ever since Wilde had first entered the army and ey was not afraid of anything xe could do. Instead, Kit only shook eir head disappointedly. The lightning that danced across Wilde's skin began to dissipate. Xe still severely disliked the green-haired, green-eyed git, but xe could see where Kit was coming from and xe was willing to make peace with Emerald just to please em, but the rivalry between Emerald and Wilde was still very real.

"Let's just go hang out with Scarlet and Theodore," Iris tried to suggest after training, referring to two of the nicer Camp Steuben soldiers.

"Nah, I think I'm just going to stay here with Kit," Wilde replied, an ice timbre entering xyr voice.

"Oh, ok," Iris shrugged. She had noticed that Wilde seemed opposed to every Camp Steuben soldier xe ever met and although she understood that to some degree, she had to admit that it was kind of silly. Scarlet was the sweetest person Iris had ever met and she had a feeling Wilde would really like her, if only xe would give her the chance. But xe wouldn't. Iris had tried several times to get Wilde to open up to Camp Steuben, but it always failed. Emerald must've set a bad impression of the rest of the camp. Iris, however, darted off to find her two Camp Steuben friends and all three of them were delighted to see each other and they spent a pleasant time just hanging out. Even if Emerald had ruined Camp Steuben for Wilde, she hadn't ruined it for Iris. Iris was still able to see the good soldiers in this camp. Emerald was the weird one here. Iris wondered if she even cared though, that she was giving her whole camp a bad reputation just by being so sour and hostile.

Then once Iris' time at Camp Steuben came to an end, she would always return home in relief. As much as she loved her Gifted friends, her Gifted enemies made it hard to enjoy the full experience. At least at home, she had people like her parents, Rusty, Storm and her family and the Lockewoods for company. They never failed Iris once and they were always happy to see her. They were always a welcome change from the Camp Steuben drama and they were well worth the price of keeping a Gift secret.

"I won't miss this place," Iris muttered as she rode away from Camp Steuben. Of course, she would miss Scarlet and Theodore, but she certainly wouldn't miss Grau or Emerald. She was looking forward to the eight weeks she had now before she had to go back and face her Gifted friends and Gifted enemies once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Keep reading.


	56. Anger

About six months after Iris' 20th birthday, Grau made another change to the Gifted regiment. Bomb testing had been going very well and the time was drawing near for the real deal to be dropped. There was just one last thing Grau had insisted upon.

"I've been working in collaboration with several geneticists and chemists over at Camp Reed," the old man began. "Together, we've created something of a super serum, an enhancer formula, that you all need to take from this day on until the end of the war. It'll do good things for you and it comes in any form you choose," the leader of Camp Steuben paused to open up a large box. Inside were pills, syringes or bottles.

"So, is this like some kind of medicine?" Wilde asked, xyr nose crinkling in disgust. Kit picked up a bottle of the liquid serum.

"Where are the ingredients?" ey asked as ey turned the bottle over and over again. All that was on it was Camp Reed's logo and Camp Steuben's. There wasn't even a name or brand or warnings/side effects. That wasn't suspicious at all.

"Secret," Grau replied. Kit narrowed eir golden eyes at once. Being the healer that ey was, ey was reluctant to use medicines of unknown content. Sure, ey was all for medicine and vaccination, but ey had no clue what was in this serum. Wasn't that a bit shady?

"Wait, you mean you want us to start drugging up on some formula you created, but you won't even tell us what it is?" Iris laughed nervously as she picked up a bottle, many small tablets rattling on the plastic. Scarlet, who stood beside her, nodded in agreement with her words.

"This feels kind of suspicious," she said gently, voice as soft and sweet as ever. "Aren't we doing alright as we are? It's been six months after all!"

"It's Camp Reed-approved!" Grau defended angrily. He wasn't one to get mad easily, but whenever someone accused him of dishonesty or ill intent, he got mad. "It really does work and it really is just a strength enhancer!"

"It is!" Jalux and Rexus agreed in unison as they also picked up a bottle and a needle respectively, recognizing their camp's symbol.

"Then why not just take some government branded ones?" Emerald asked. It was the first time she'd ever agreed with any of the other Gifted on anything, but even she was wary of unknown medicines. Perhaps that wariness came with knowing how disease worked on the system, but for once, even shewas willing to question Grau just a little bit. "Why take these private ones?"

"Because those are specifically designed to your DNA," Grau explained in frustration. "They'll go better with your body chemistry. Honestly! Don't any of you know anything? You don't just take the first medication you see, you get it prescribed to you because doctors have done a careful analysis on what will work on you the best!" Grau picked up a bottle and shook it. "Same principle."

"But why do we need it?" Vesper asked at last, essentially reiterating Scarlet's point from earlier. "We're doing just fine on our own, right? And besides, it's not like we're dropping the nuke tomorrow. Don't we still have time to just keep practicing? Or at the very least, why won't you just tell us what's in it? If it's so good for us, on a biochemical and genetic level, just tell us what it is!" slowly, the others began to agree, protesting and muttering amongst themselves as Grau continued to stand there, box of medicines still in his hands. He heaved a tired sigh before giving a brief rundown. He wasn't usually this gruff. He supposed it was just the stress getting to him and making him unnaturally surly... No it wasn't. Despite himself, Grau smiled just a little. He knew what it really was, where all this heightened anger was coming from. But he'd never tell. Not yet at least. Instead, he only acquiesced to answer Vesper and Scarlet's demands.

"You all are doing very well," he finally admitted. "And believe me, I am immensely proud of how far all of you have come!" he added, sounding genuine for the very first time ever. It was enough to give the other Gifted pause and even though it could've easily just been Grau pretending to approve of them to get them to listen to him, it still worked either way and the Gifted finally stopped fidgeting and muttering. "But even perfection can be perfected," he continued. "That's all that these are for. Like I said, they are enhancers. I'm taking them and have been for quite awhile now, testing them for you, so I can safely and truly assure you that they are 100% safe," he said.

Hearing this confession changed the game just a little bit. Hearing that Grau had been taking these enhancers for awhile attracted the Gifted and made them a little more open to the idea of taking them as well.

"Besides, remember that although we are strong, we are not immortal. Even I have the potential to die," Grau trailed off darkly. "But even if I didn't, even if you didn't either, there still aren't that many of us. We number about 10. That's not that many when we consider the Noctifers. Even if only one or two survive the nuke, that's still a bit of a challenge. I'd wager, as well, that if any Noctifers do survive, they will be the larger and more durable ones. Do you really want to fight a larger one without the added strength of an enhancer?" Grau asked. Hmmm. That was a good point. The Gifted slowly began to nod amongst themselves.

"And to explain the lack of labels?" Grau continued. "Well, each serum was made for each Gifted based on genetic makeup, therefore, each one is specialized. Additionally, since these enhancers were only meant to be used for this very specific circumstance, we didn't see the need to add logos and whatnot. I do understand your desire to see the ingredients, but none of us felt the need to write them out since every person's enhancer is different. However, if you really, really insist upon having the list, I can provide it, but every label will be different... for obvious reasons," Grau finished. Having answered all of his Gifted's questions, they finally began to switch sides and agree with him.

Emerald was the first to change her mind and speak up.

"If it makes me stronger, I'm all for it," she said boldly. Though she was still wary of taking unlabeled medicine, she was always the first to agree with Grau on anything. She was the easiest to sway over.

"As you wish," he replied easily, smirking just a little.

"And give me a syringe, I ain't no coward," she demanded, striding forward. Grau obediently tossed her a needle and she, after quickly finding a vein, jabbed it into her arm at once, squeeze all the fluid from the syringe and into her blood. The whole room held its breath.

"Oh, come on, people! You know how medicine works! This isn't some bad sci-fi novel written by a stupid teenager, this is real life! Medicine doesn't cause instant change!" Grau sighed in anger. The others instantly looked away, ashamed. Silly as it was, they had expected some large change to come over Emerald, but when Grau reminded him that that type of phony science only happened in cliche sci-fi stories written by inexperienced and uninspired authors, they all had to agree that they were stupid from expecting anything to happen. At least quickly.

But when Emerald was able to prove that there were no negative side effects of using this strange medicine, everyone else fell in line too. Wilde and Vesper were the only other ones to use syringes, everyone else opting to use the liquid or pills.

"Aren't you just such a tough guy?" Iris deadpanned as Wilde threw xyr syringe down with a fierce expression.

"Oh, shut up," xe replied good-naturedly. But even Kit had taken pills over needle. Even though needle worked the fastest, pill seemed safer for the time being. And yes, ey knew for a fact Wilde had only used the needle for the aesthetic of it.

From that day onward, the Gifted continued to take their medicines daily.

"Do you feel any different?" Iris had asked Scarlet at one point.

"Not really," she said uncertainly, inspecting her body, but there were no visible changes either.

"Nor do I," the Camp Reed Gifted both agreed. The four of them began to wonder if this wasn't all fake. Maybe it was a placebo thing?

"Of course it's real!" Emerald insisted stubbornly as she jabbed herself again with a needle. She was starting to bruise, but being Gifted meant that they all healed up within an hour's time so that her arm was completely fresh the next time she had to take a shot.

"Ok, Green-Eyed Git, I was just asking!" Iris snapped, growing unreasonably angry again. Emerald didn't even reply verbally, choosing instead just to hit Iris outright. The blow enraged the brunette and she struck back. An anger began to grow within her, cold and fierce. As hostile as she and Emerald were, this was the first time Iris had ever really, really, really wanted to fight the girl. Before now, the idea of socking Emerald in the jaw had been a pleasant fantasy. Now, Iris was seconds away from making it a very bloody and satisfying reality...

"HEY! HEY!" Scarlet tried to break the two of them up. Normally, Iris would've listened to the sweet woman, but in a fit of indignation, she lashed out at Scarlet too. After finally punching Emerald hard enough to break something, Iris whipped around and slapped Scarlet hard as she could. A savage pleasure that combined with even more anger entered her purple eyes. Scarlet held her stinging cheek before drawing back a fist and punching Iris hard enough to bruise her jaw. For a moment, Iris was stunned. For a moment, that anger faded back into some semblance of sanity. As far as she knew, Scarlet had never hurt another person before. Let alone her. Let alone so violently... But Iris' stupefaction did not last.

"WHAT IN DENBAR?!" Iris whined angrily, hitting Scarlet again. Then Emerald somehow found an excuse to attack again. Rexus and Jalux, who were nearby, watched the three girls fight. At first, they sniggered at it, trading amused whispers, but the longer it went on, the more the two felt compelled to join in. Suddenly, it had become a 14-person fight, all of Rexus' clones coming out with him and Jalux as they all tackled upon one another, fighting ferociously. Rexus and Jalux didn't even have a reason to be fighting, but for some reason, watching Emerald, Scarlet and Iris duke it out had been so alluring that they had decided to jump in anyway, illogical and immature as that was.

"ENOUGH!" it was only Grau's intervention that kept anyone from needing serious hospitalization. The old man's voice was shaking with fury and power and… something else, something that compelled the other Gifted to stop at once and listen. Despite how carried away they had been in their fight, the moment Grau entered the room, it was like some otherworldly power had followed him in and every single person, clone included, stopped dead in their tracks and listened as the old man hissed out his commands.

"STOP!" he thundered, and everyone stopped moving. Mid-punch, mid-kick, mid-bite, everyone froze.

"On your feet!" he snarled and every Gifted suddenly jumped up in a perfect line.

"To Kit. Now!" he snarled next, and every Gifted was suddenly marching in a perfect line towards the "lounge" of the bunker. No one felt compelled to disobey or argue at all, all the anger suddenly replaced by a complete submission.

The fight ended even faster than it had started and, within an hour, nobody could remember how it had started. All they remembered was anger. Grau had broken them up and sent them running with that one simple word, but once the anger had cooled down again, no one could really remember why the fight had started in the first place.

"All I remember is just how angry I felt," Iris murmured as Kit patched her up, glaring at her angrily. "But it wasn't even like a normal anger. It started out that way, hot and urgent, but then it faded into something deeper and steadier, but no less serious…It was anger, but it wasn't normal. It wasn't even human," she sounded puzzled by her own actions and this uncharacteristic outburst, but when nothing could be said for it, she fell into a resigned silence and thought about apologizing to Scarlet for hitting her. After all, even though Iris could've chalked the newfound violence up to stress and hormones, that was absolutely no excuse to resort to violence, especially against someone like Scarlet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Yeah, the "drug" is basically steroids. I know it's uncreative. But at least I gave a shout out to how lame and cliché this story is.


	57. The Stirrings

Unfortunately, though, this was not the last of the stirrings. On the contrary, with each day, it felt like everyone got a little bit angrier.

"Purple-Eyed Punk!" Emerald snarled at Iris. This time, though, the outburst was entirely unprovoked. It had not been preceded by any kind of argument or fight. Just out of the blue, Emerald had suddenly snapped at Iris. Iris tried to ignore it, at first, and she was actually able to brush it off successfully this time, but then it became Wilde who started the fight. Xyr self-control wasn't as high as Iris' and Emerald's outburst, which really was incredibly arbitrary, set xem off.

"Why don't you go throw yourself off a cliff?" xe demanded. "I am so sick and tired of you being such a jerk to everyone you run into. You act so superior but you're nothing but a prissy little brat!" the longer xe continued to speak, the angrier both xe and Emerald got until fists and lightning went wild. This fight ended much quicker, however, because Emerald's Gift, no matter how volatile, was not nearly as fast or directly deadly as Wilde's lightning. In addition, Wilde's lightning had gotten even stronger than before. In fact, xe was practicing it by powering all of Camp Steuben's appliances for days at a time. To have that much raw power aimed against Emerald meant it didn't take much for Emerald to fall.

"Thanks," Iris grunted. She was scowling, but not because of the fight. Instead, she was fighting hard not to let that strange allure of battle overtake her again. Watching Wilde and Emerald fight had made her feel compelled to join, but she was fighting hard against the stirrings.

"Don't mention it," Wilde replied, sounding just as tense. The stirrings scared xem too, just a little.

Vesper had begun to get the stirrings too, an unreasonable desire to do something wild and dangerous filling her veins.

"Let's actually go jump off a cliff," she had suggested after word reached her about the fight between Wilde and Emerald.

"What?!" Wilde and Iris ridiculed her.

"I mean it!" she insisted. "Come on! Let's do something wild! Let's do something crazy! I feel the adrenaline and, boy oh boy, is it pumping!" for a moment, she was back to the wild psycho Iris met years ago, laughing and free.

Without further ado, she went sprinting away from Iris and Wilde, whooping as she did so. She did several flips and cartwheels, landing perfectly every single time. She was a gymnast without even trying. She continued to howl out for something to do and wouldn't stop until Grau sent her on a mission to go kill a few Noctifers. She came back with six severed heads and still looked hungry for more. She had since learned how to turn her Gift of light into lazers and would often duel Wilde for sport, though Wilde still usually won. But Vesper was never deterred by this, as evident by how proud she seemed when she came home with all those severed heads, bragging about her own strength and might.

"That girl is nuts!" Wilde muttered to xemself as xe watched Vesper literally climb a wall, somehow managing to find nigh-invisible cracks and crevices to hold onto as she practically shot upwards. Iris couldn't help but agree. This was even worse than when Venderwarp was still around, in what felt like life times ago. In time, though, Scarlet and Rexus both ended up joining her and the three of them held multiple races as to who could run the fastest or climb the highest. It was a bizarre thing to watch and later, Wilde, Kit and Jalux ended up being sent on the same mission Vesper had gone on just to blow off some steam. The stirrings were making everyone a bit antsy.

It even became a noticeable change back at home.

"Wow! Sweet, Denbar, Iris! Slow down!" Storm admonished her little lover as she went zipping through the trees with unnatural speed and balance. Iris had always been very agile, just because she was so tiny and maneuverable, but now it was literally impossible to keep up with her as she jumped from tree branch to tree branch, never missing a single one no matter how bendy it looked.

"NEVER!" Iris hollered back, laughing wildly as she even managed to do a few flips and cartwheels through the trees.

"Did you give her any sugar?" Gale asked Storm as both of them watched Iris sprint through the treetops.

"Not that I know of," Storm replied, equally mystified as to where this boundless energy was coming from. Sure, Iris had always been very spritely, but this was insane! This wasn't passion or optimism, this was nigh-insanity!

"Should we ask Dr. Lockewood?" Storm asked a bit later, looking to Gale for help while Iris continued to run circles around them.

"It might be worth it," Gale shrugged, then he and Storm slunk away to speak with the Camp Heath doctor while Iris continued to cavort through the trees, going faster and faster with every loop around the forest that she did, laughing and singing too.

"I don't know what to make of it," Dr. Lockewood muttered about an hour later, once they had finally managed to get Iris to calm down enough to get examined. Dr. Lockewood had done a fully body exam too, studying every inch of Iris, inside and out. Everything was in perfect working order. Nothing was wrong or hurt, but nothing looked different or stronger. It wasn't like she'd suddenly developed any new muscle or anything. But Dr. Lockewood also had a few scans done on Iris' brain. Those yielded a slight difference.

"It should be negligible, but it looks like a few parts of her brain have reshaped themselves and certain parts are way more active than they would be in a normal human," Dr. Lockewood said, pointing to two pictures and mentioning the differences between them.

"So, what's wrong with her, Doc?" asked Gale. "Should we be worried?" he cast Iris a concerned look, but she seemed totally fine now. If anything, she was just as curious as he was, leaning over to look at the charts with the rest of them.

"I don't know," Dr. Lockewood confessed. "The changes are evident, but they don't appear to be unhealthy. I've never seen anything like it."

"But am I going to be ok?" Iris pressed, sounding genuinely worried for herself, for once. She really had calmed down, she wasn't just faking it. She knew it was the stirrings, and she had a feeling that they came from Grau's medicines. She was starting to worry what he was feeding them.

"I think so," Dr. Lockewood tried to reassure the girl, not knowing the real reason for her concern. This change in her was not natural.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Storm demanded, wrapping a long arm around Iris' shoulder.

"Just keep looking after her and come back if anything else goes wrong," Dr. Lockewood suggested. It was a poor plan, but it was all she had, so Storm, Gale and Iris were forced to leave the Camp Heath Hospital with only that.

Later that night, Iris' parents and Rusty came to their daughter.

"We heard you've been having some brain troubles?" Mae was the first to ask, barely concealing her concern.

"It's nothing, Ma," Iris tried to soothe the woman, little psycho moment entirely over now. Although she was still genuinely concerned over what Grau was doing to her, she wasn't that scared and since she knew it wasn't anything like a tumor, she didn't think it worth worrying over. Yet.

"It's not nothing," Mae replied sharply. She regretted it at once. She hated to lose her temper at Iris and almost never meant it, but if there was something wrong with Iris' brain, she had to know at once. Iris' life could be on the line and nothing scared Mae more than the thought of losing Iris. It was part of the reason the woman had been so reluctant to allow Iris to serve in the army in the first place.

"I mean, I asked Dr. Lockewood and she said it might just be the stress of war," Iris continued to try and placate her mother. Iris adored Mae more than just about anything and she absolutely hated worrying the poor woman anymore than necessary. Mae had already been so good to her already that the last thing she wanted to do was making it harder on her.

Then Lester and Rusty both butted in, continuing to drill Iris on what Dr. Lockewood had said and shown her. Iris' heart melted for all three of them. It was a rare day when someone was able to brag that they had parents as good as she did, and it was an even rarer day when the kids were happy with them. From what Iris understood, nearly every kid went through some kind of teenage rebellion against their parents, but as far as she knew, Iris had never had one of those herself. Sure, there were days when she and her parents didn't get along, but there was never a time when Iris relished the thought of having to fly the nest and leave them. Iris adored her parents and vice versa and Iris' parents had been nothing but supportive to her for all the years she had been with them. To hear them worry over her even when she was 20.5 years old made her blush with affection. It wasn't every day that a young adult was as lucky as she was to have such supportive parents who were so present in her life.

Iris managed to keep calm as she explained the situation and although it was apparent Rusty, Lester and Mae were all still incredibly concerned for Iris' health, when Dr. Lockewood was able to testify that there was no immediate danger, they were able to relax a little.

"But you'll tell us as soon as anything goes wrong, right?" Lester demanded of Iris and Dr. Lockewood both.

"Of course," both promised in return. Mae was holding tightly to Iris' hand. Iris smiled up at her, conveying reassurance and love both. Mae smiled back down, trying to calm herself. It was just that, like Iris had noted, Mae had been incredibly active in Iris' life, even after Iris joined the army. The two had fought together, dined together, trained together, healed together and lived together. Any trouble Iris ever faced, Mae was willing to stand by her. If there really was something wrong now, she wanted to know so that she could help Iris through this too.

As soon as Iris' parents had Dr. Lockewood's word of honor that she would tell them if anything else came up in Iris' record, Iris was finally free to go. Unfortunately, she wound up in the arms of Gale, Tempest and Storm next and had to go through another rigmarole of worry and anger as they coerced her into the same promise her own parents had gotten out of her just minutes ago. Iris found it funny how she seemed to have been given two sets of parents, one in the form of Mae, Lester and Rusty and the second in the form of Gale, Tempest and Storm. She found their concern sweet, but at the same time, a little bothersome just because Iris finally figured out why she was acting so sporadically. Grau had even promised that the medicines would affect them on a genetic level, so of course some mood swings were expected, but that didn't mean Iris had to enjoy it. What was worse, since these stirring were Grau-made, she couldn't tell anyone at all and only had to work that much harder on her self-control so nobody would ever suspect what was really going on.

But promises could be broken and, try as she did, sometimes Iris' control would still slip.

"COME ON! FIGHT ME! HARDER! HARDER!" Iris demanded as she fought Storm, Gale, Tempest, Lianna and Jason all at once. The group had gotten together to train and they initially went with an 'every man for himself' tactic, but then Iris challenged them all to fight her at once. She had no clue where this impulse had come from or why, she just knew she suddenly had a very deep urge to fight and fight hard. The five she challenged agreed easily enough at first, but when they tried to go easy on her, thinking that five on one was a little less than fair, she chastised them for it and yelled at them until they were all fighting as hard as they could.

"COME ON! HARDER! FASTER!" Iris snarled, dodging blows as quickly as she doled them out. Jason was the first to fall, having his sword knocked clean from his hands before being knocked right off his feet as well. Gale was the next to go, a mistake making it easy for Iris to disarm and dismantle him too. Then Lianna fell, then Tempest until it was only Storm and Iris.

"Ok, Iris, calm down! It's just friendly sparring!" Storm cried as Iris snarled at her like a wild animal.

"FIGHT ME!" Iris replied, a surge of anger filling her being that Storm suggested she calm down.

"Ok," Storm shrugged, the only one unbothered by this eerie anger from Iris. She rushed at the girl and managed to land a solid blow, but Iris took it easily and counterattacked with a mighty strike of her own. The other four who had been disarmed could only watch, slack-jawed, as these two great warriors went toe to toe, neither giving an inch. Iris seemed to have lost all sense of sanity as she continued to fight Storm while Storm continued to fight with effortless ease, not at all concerned for Iris. At the last second, though, the stirrings died down again and Iris felt herself weakening. Even after she'd come back to her senses, though, Storm continued to push as hard as she could and did not stop until Iris was on the ground, totally defeated and totally drained of the stirrings. Storm was panting hard but, unlike Iris, she was still standing.

"Well. I haven't seen a fight like that in years!" Lianna was the first to declare, staring wide-eyed up at Storm. Storm only laughed, picking Iris right up off the ground with one hand. Iris swayed a little once Storm set her back down, but she could only laugh sheepishly, covered in cuts and bruises. She knew hers would be gone by nightfall, but she still wished that Kit could've been there to make them vanish at once. She was embarrassed to think about how she'd obtained them, but she couldn't deny how impressed she was with Storm. Sure, everyone knew how strong Storm was, but to Iris, it was a whole other deal. Storm hadn't just defeated her. She'd defeated her while she was on Grau's medications and had defeated her in such a way that left her literally unable to stand. Storm would've been an absolutely terrifying Gifted, Iris imagined.

"Sweet Denbar, you two! I haven't seen anything like that in my whole life!" Gale was next to agree, hopping up beside Lianna as Storm and Iris bowed respectfully to each other before collecting their swords. Iris' was going to need some touch-ups.

"You guys were like wild animals!" Tempest agreed.

"I've never seen anything so scary!" Jason cried. Storm only continued to stand there with a smug smirk while Iris continued to grin sheepishly.

"I guess I just got lost in the battle, eh?" she asked, hoping against hope that no one would ask where her newfound anger had come from.

"No kidding," Jason shook his head in amazement as they all began to head back to the heart of camp. They were all going to need a long rest...

The stirrings continued to plague Iris at inexplicable times and there were plenty of days when she wished that she could just throw her medicine away and never take another pill again. At the same time, though, it was Grau's orders and she, no matter how much she hated him or what he said, couldn't help but feel compelled to obey. She briefly wondered if he was using Scarlet to get all this done. Why else would she keep taking gross pills that turned her into something borderline psychotic?

But at the same time, Scarlet seemed far too kind and gentle to ever agree to use her Gift in such a treacherous way. The only time she ever used it was if it kept the peace or was against an enemy or if she'd been given explicit consent from whoever she was about to use it on (if it was during training). It was so un-Scarlet to use mind control to enslave a person, unless it was a temporary enslavement for a life-or-death deal. And by "temporary", Scarlet usually meant no more than five minutes max, even though she could control an individual far longer than that, as evident with how many Noctifers she'd "tamed". Scarlet, Iris was willing to bet, was entirely innocent.

But even so, the smallest part of Iris actually really liked the way the pills made her so strong, brave and energized. Though she was wary of them and their maker, she still liked them on some level. She found out that she needed less sleep now and recovered from strenuous activity faster than ever before. The pills, as angry as they might make her, also made her incredibly strong and battle-ready and that was definitely a good thing. So, she would put up with the stirrings if they meant that she could maintain this super-soldier life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Just more Roid Rage.


	58. Setback

But as good as things were going, setbacks were inevitable, especially in such a delicate war. One particular setback occurred when one of the test bombs went off too soon and leveled part of the Pit. Only a few people died and Iris was able to clean up all the radioactivity in relatively short order (it seemed that the enhancer also enhanced her Gift and not just her natural physical abilities like strength, endurance and recovery), but the damage was still done and everything had to be put off by a few months.

"I told you this wouldn't work!" Chief snapped at Northson and Southlynn. "You could've sent all of Camp Reed sky high! I suggest you call off this foolishness, this insanity, at once and go back to fighting like real soldiers!"

"With all due respect, Ma'am," Southlynn had spoken coldly. "We are fighting like real soldiers. A real soldier fights to win, fights to protect. There are losses and mistakes no matter how battles are fought. What matters is not the mistakes, but how the survivors react to them. Sure, we messed up today, but that doesn't make us any less of soldiers now than it ever did before and we will not stop this operation. It was a minor setback in a major plan and I will not call off this entire mission because of one little slip."

"One little slip?!" Chief croaked. "You could've sent everyone up in flames!" she repeated angrily, getting in Southlynn's face.

"But I didn't," Southlynn replied calmly.

"So you think that makes it ok to try again?" Chief demanded, angered by Southlynn's nonchalance to the premature explosion of the bomb.

"Do you have a better plan?" Southlynn challenged.

"Foot soldiers!" Chief cried.

"And how many more deaths will that cause?" Southlynn crossed her arms and narrowed her brown eyes. Chief opened her mouth, but closed it again when she realized that Southlynn was right. Even though this had been a major mistake on her part today, returning to foot soldiers may be an even larger one on Chief's part tomorrow.

The leader of Denbar reluctantly surrendered her power to Southlynn once more, bitterly wondering if she ought to have Southlynn arrested for treason against her Supreme Leader, and left Camp Reed with just one simple warning.

"I will allow you to continue testing your nukes," she growled. "But one more slip up and I will illegalize them, understand?" the threat was clear. Chief wouldn't just illegalize nukes, she'd illegalize anything that could even lead to the creation of one and she would not go easy when it came to the enforcement of such a law. As permissive as Chief was, she never hesitated to remind the world who was in charge, no matter the cost.

"Understood," Southlynn replied, concealing her true worries under a mask as cold and indifferent as Chief's. The two women parted on terms as unstable as the nukes just below their feet.

The moment Chief was gone, however, Southlynn's shoulders slumped.

"Maybe Chief is right," she sighed. "Maybe this is a stupid idea."

"Nonsense!" Northson was the first to protest, coming quickly to his wife's defense. "It's just a little bit risky."

"But what if we do make another mistake?" Southlynn asked miserably.

"We won't," Northson tried to reassure.

"But we might," Southlynn argued, shoulders still slumped. Northson could only sigh sadly. He had to admit that Southlynn had a point, but at the same time, he was still the nuke's firmest believer and he wasn't about to let anyone, even Chief, stand in its way. They would just have to be more careful, but he had already vowed that he would fight for this bomb to be built, even if another mishap did happen.

"Let's just attend to the cleanup," Northson suggested finally and Southlynn allowed him to lead her away. Iris had already been underground at that point, cleaning up the radioactive waste with ease. The moment the last of it had been decayed into a safer material, everyone else was allowed back down to help clean up everything else.

So that mishap with the bomb did cause several months of setback, but Grau still used every second to his advantage.

"We did suffer a great loss with that little mishap," he growled, silently cursing the Mapps and their carelessness. "But we still carry on and I will not allow a single one of you to slow down, even for a single second. And in fact, I've even brought in more of you to make up for lost time created by this setback!" the old man waved a hand and out stepped three more Gifted.

"But they're just children!" Scarlet was first to protest, and she was right. It appeared that they were all about 15 or 16 years old.

"That means nothing," Grau argued. "They are physically, mentally and emotionally fit and they are Gifted. They can survive more than a normal human could and I've been giving them the special serum as well."

"This is madness!" Scarlet repeated, but when Grau shot her a look, even though she could see nothing under his large hood, she yielded. It was evident that she still hated what Grau was suggesting, but she didn't dare question him. Instead, she and the others went to greet the new Gifted.

The first to step forward was a handsome young man named Edward Gray. He had spiky bronze hair and flawless skin. He was a charming and polite fellow, but a bit shy and standoffish. He was a quiet loner who knew how to woo a crowd. It was clear that he had only come because Grau had asked. There was no evidence that Grau had physically forced him to come along, but being Grau meant that he didn't really need to use physical force to get what he wanted. He had the same mysterious persuasive powers that Scarlet did and Iris, again, wondered if he hadn't used her to get to Edward and the others. But she put this idea away quickly. Scarlet had been too opposed to the idea of bringing in child soldiers to be responsible for this. Iris herself didn't like the idea of child soldiers either just because, even though they might be physically apt, they were not mentally or emotionally ready, no matter what Grau said. Danielle was proof of it. Well-meant as she was, the girl was too immature to belong in an army. And she wasn't even fighting. Even if Edward was only a year or two under the age limit, he shouldn't have been there. But he was.

As the group would come to learn, Edward's Gift was the ability to turn his skin into metal and become a living set of armor. When his Gift was off, his skin was as soft and smooth as anyone else's. When it was on, however, it became hard and shiny as steel not even swords could cut it. In addition, as impossible as it sounded, his eyes were clear. There was a ring separating his pupils from the whites of his eyes, so clearly he had irises, but they were a see-through color. When they glowed, they generated a white light, kind of like a flashlight. He was also incredibly good-looking, though from the few words he spoke, the others garnered that he already had a boyfriend he had been forced to leave back home. Everyone's heart went out to him, hoping the fate would reunite the two lovers. Edward shouldn't have been here anyway, it wouldn't be fair for him to die, even though a war cared not for fairness or justice.

The next to step forward was an equally quiet young woman. Her skin was a dark copper and her hair was midway down her back, rough in texture and black in color. She could manipulate water, though only if a source was nearby. According to Grau, there would come a day when she would be able to control the water in the air and in the body of herself and others, but for the present, she was only able to move whatever water was available to her. This meant that Grau had to install what essentially was a giant bathtub in part of his underground training ring for the Gifted. The girl's name was Artimanna Mazce and her eyes were turquoise.

The last person to step forward was introduced as Trina Harris. Ey said that ey was fine if they used eir name, but that ey preferred gender neutral pronouns. Eir Gift was sonic scream (vocal manipulation to create typically impossible sounds). Eir eyes were, as Iris noted, a very similar shade to Venderwarp's, save that Trina's were a bit darker. Venderwarp's silver eyes had sometimes appeared almost white, especially while glowing, but Trina's were gray through and through.

"I can't believe this. I still can't believe he's dragging children into this!" Scarlet continued to mutter under her breath despite greeting the new trio with all respect and warmth. Iris had to admit that she felt a little guilty about bringing children into war, but at this point, she figured that more was better. All was fair in war anyway, so even if it was morally wrong to have underage soldiers, sometimes that was what it took to win a war. But Scarlet continued to rave against Grau's deeds, trying to lobby for a change to bringing the new trio in. She pretty much became a social justice warrior despite all three of her causes being totally fine with being in the army. Edward was really the only one who'd expressed any desire to go home, but he also stated that he really didn't care too much and as much as he appreciated Scarlet trying to get him home, he would like it if she stopped. This severely offended the proud woman, but she did finally concede to calm down when nobody else would join her in trying to change the fact that Grau had just dragged three teens into the war.

"I still don't think it's right," she said under her breath.

"Nor do we, but things happen," Edward replied with a shrug. "But we appreciate your effort," he added sincerely and it was enough to make the woman smile again, if only for a little.

"It really is not so bad," Artimanna agreed with a reassuring smile.

"But all of you are so young!" Scarlet sighed. She, herself, was not old, but she had a point that they were mere babies in terms of army status.

"Perhaps, but we are powerful," Trina reminded. "And we will learn quickly in a place like this, I am sure," and eir gray eyes glowed a brighter gray and Scarlet was reminded, once more, that these kids had been taking Grau's serum as well. Uncomfortable as that made her, she supposed that maybe they would fare better than expected just by virtue of whatever drug Grau was pumping into them. You know, there really were days when Scarlet wondered why she didn't just use her hypnosis/compulsion Gift and just convince Grau to fess up to why he did what he did, but that thought made Scarlet uncomfortable too, so it never happened.

So despite the setback of losing a nuke, it didn't take long for a new one to replace it and for the tests to finish out. All along the way, Iris and her Gifted comrades, old and new, continued to train and medicate. Like Trina predicted, ey and the two other new kids learned the ropes pretty fast. They were by no means experts, but they certainly had learned their Gift faster than Iris ever had. But by the end of it all, Iris felt ready enough to disinfect the whole country if it came to that. She actually, honestly felt ready for her main task, though it shouldn't be quite so drastic since the nuke was going to be relatively small and its blast radius would, hopefully, not touch Camp Steuben, which was only a handful of miles away.

"The bomb is going to have a relatively small blast radius," Grau had explained to Iris once when she asked about whether or not he was worried about his camp being damaged. "We will, no doubt, get hit with at least a bit of radiation, but the initial blast shouldn't harm us."

"Shouldn't," Iris repeated nervously.

"Like I said, I'm more worried about the fallout," Grau shrugged, then he made sure to be looking right at Iris. He didn't need to say a word for her to understand and she, reluctantly, got back to work. Although Camp Reed was where she usually trained in decaying radioactive material, Grau sometimes had some shipped over to Camp Steuben so that he could watch Iris work and so that she could practice in a more realistic setting. This last battle wasn't going to take place in a controlled underground lab, after all. But with the serum heightening Iris' physical abilities (both mundane and Gifted), every new task Grau presented her with almost felt easier than the last.

In addition, Grau's special serum was finally starting to take a noticeable, physical change on the Gifted after all. It had been far slower, but it was starting to show on all of them. On an internal level, though they could not see it, their organs were changing to become better suited to a creature designed for fighting. Everything grew or shrank according to need and began to function at slightly different paces based upon how their owners would be existing. On an external level, every Gifted got more compact. They didn't shrink, per se, but they still got smaller. It was like all of them were just sort of bunching up towards the middle so that they were the same amount of person in a smaller space. This meant everyone got a bit shorter and a bit wider, heavier around the middle and shorter in the limbs.

Muscles became more flexible and tensile as bodies contorted into increasingly complex shapes to handle more and more combat moves. Bones grew a bit softer and pliable to accommodate this extra motion without breaking. Weight was lost because of this so agility, speed and endurance increased while the need for rest and sustenance decreased. Skin got rubbery so even though it wasn't thicker, it held up under attack a bit better and didn't tear or cut as easily. Nerves were made to be more sensitive. The basic five senses were heightened even more than before. Everything about the Gifted, thanks to the combat training and the serum, rewired itself to be more battle-oriented. Sure, these were changes all soldiers went through to some degree, but with the Gifted, it almost began to change how they looked to a noticeable degree.

"Ah! You all look marvelous! So strong, swift, powerful and agile!" Grau sighed in pure adoration as he watched his Gifted streak through the back mountains away from the prying eyes of his normal soldiers. They were all so set on the task at hand that not a single one of them heard him speak as he admired their changing physique.

Once the training was over, however, and everyone went their separate ways, the questions and realizations began to spill out.

"Urgh! I look horrible!" Iris had exclaimed once, looking in a mirror of the Camp Heath bathroom. She had never been model status before and she had never cared much for her looks either, but to see herself in a mirror after all of Grau's training made her recoil. She wasn't used to seeing such a strangely thin yet stocky body. She wasn't used to seeing herself standing hunched and on her toes, as though ready for attack even while simply stopping for a bathroom break. She wasn't used to how large and bright her eyes seemed and how alert her entire face was, despite the skin looking rubbery and a little loose. In her mind, she was disgusting. Her hands, feet, fingers and toes all seemed more spindly and although it made it easier to work with small or thin weapons or to latch onto things, she thought they looked gross.

"What is wrong with me?!" the girl whispered to herself as she mentally compared herself to the likes of Storm, Tempest, and even her own mother. But the thing was, the changes were all relatively small. Maybe Iris noticed them easily, but she had heightened senses and awareness. In addition, she was the only one who could see herself up close. Iris was the only one who could study Iris up close in a mirror for extended periods of time to see how all these little changes combined to make an overall appearance change. Everyone else could only see Iris from that bigger picture from the get-go, thusly, they didn't notice the changes that Iris was seeing. Additionally, since none of these physical changes that only Iris could really detect were acting as a detriment to her health, they weren't bothering anyone. Iris seemed the only one to be bothered by the changes, but that was mostly because she was the only one that could really feel them on that internal level. The others only tried to reassure her.

First and foremost, they promised her that they still thought she was beautiful since beauty was only an opinion with the closest thing to a set standard being in what a majority considered beautiful. Secondly, they reminded her that even if she wasn't beautiful, there were other things that she was that made her worth so much more than any outward appearance. Thirdly, they reminded her that even if beauty did matter to her, not only was there the option of trying to look at things another way and seeing herself as a new kind of beautiful, there was also the option of trying to build a new look around what her body looked like at the time.

"You are in excellent physical health," Dr. Lockewood and Mae both promised after examining the purple-eyed soldier. "That should be more than enough to suit you. It is far better to look healthy than it is to look beautiful."

"Perhaps," Iris agreed, understanding what they meant and agreeing with it. "But I still miss my old looks because I, personally, don't think I look as good as I used to and no matter how shallow that may sound, it matters to me and I am unhappy with this."

"It's not shallow at all," Tempest was first to reassure. "It's what you value. Wanting to look good doesn't make you any less smart or kind. And while I am sorry that you no longer find pleasure in your appearance, I promise you that I and all your friends will help you in any way we can. I suppose, if push really came to shove, cosmetics are always an option," she said slowly, genuinely pondering the realism of getting Iris some sort of surgery. Desiring a beautiful body was not concerned shallow in Denbar, unless it caused anyone harm. But even then, it was not concerned shallow so much as it was considered dangerous, and the issue would always be treated with the utmost respect and sincerity.

"Thanks, Tempest," Iris smiled weakly. "I can see why Storm considers you such a good friend."

"Oh yeah, she's way uglier than you, so I can handle you for sure," Tempest joked.

"Hey!" Storm, who was in the vicinity, frowned, but Iris laughed.

"Don't worry, darling," she promised the blond. "I think you are the most gorgeous woman in all of Denbar."

"Well, looks really are an opinion then, aren't they?" Gale snickered. Storm scowled at him too, but then Iris pecked her on the cheek and her anger melted into a blush. Gale and Tempest cooed at them both. Meanwhile, Mae and Dr. Lockewood exchanged gentle smiles, glad to see Iris smiling again. To them, that was far prettier than anything else she could've ever done. A genuine smile was worth a thousand jewels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Just an excuse to add 3 more characters (cannon fodder). Next one has something of a big reveal. It may seem a bit cliché, but at least it'll be mildly interesting. Also, you'll have to forgive the BS sci-fi science displayed in this chapter (and all the preceding ones. I'm not an expert on nukes, drugs, anatomy, chemistry, etc. But I'm still open to suggestions if anyone has any ideas on how to make this more... realistic).


	59. To Win a War

But for all the smiles Iris' friends could give her, there were still plenty of scowls to go around. Months later, there finally came a day when Southlynn considered her nuke worthy of using and she called upon her entire council to come and see.

"What do you think?" she asked, gesturing to the little bomb resting at the heart of the refurbished pit. It was only 10 feet in length and two in diameter, like the original had been, most of its power source being Plutonium-240, but there was still something deadly and beautiful about it. It was funny to think that such a small package was going to be their biggest weapon, but after the near-destruction of the Camp Reed mountain, no one was foolish enough to question its true power. On the contrary, if anything, everyone was going into overdrive about it.

"Are you entirely sure you are ready?!" Chief was the first to demand. With her stood her three spouses and a few members of the Council of 12. They had all come along to perform the final bomb inspections if Chief declared that she was ready to allow it to be used.

"Absolutely," Southlynn replied, voice as hard and firm as the metal protecting the bomb. It was funny, she was so small and Chief was so tall, but for a moment, they looked nearly the same size because of how determined Southlynn was about this operation. Her husband stood behind her, saying nothing but ready to jump to her defense if she would need it. His face was grim and expressionless as he listened to his wife speak with their Supreme Leader. Said leader continued to eye the bomb critically.

"Are you sure it will go off just as planned? The time, duration, size and intensity will all be as calculated?" she asked.

"Yes," Southlynn promised. "You've seen footage of every test bomb we've dropped and all of them, except for the one that was knocked over and detonated too soon, went off just as planned."

"But you were dropping them up on a mountain top," Chief reminded, narrowing her dark blue eyes.

"We are several thousand feet inside the mountain," Southlynn reminded, her own brown eyes meeting Chief's blue ones calmly.

"But this was a contained blast in a landscape very different than your final target," Chief tried again.

"Not so much," Southlynn replied. "We built the testing areas to be just like our final destination, from the air to the soil to the size."

"But this is real life, with humans who may end up filling the area after the bomb drops," Chief reminded again.

"Yes, but it seems that we have a very effective cleanup plan," Southlynn grinned dryly. She still had no clue what the cleanup device was, nor did Chief, but she couldn't deny its existence because every time they went to trace for radiation where the bomb was dropped, by the very next day, most of it was entirely decayed into safer elements. So clearly, there was something.

"Will it be enough to clean up an entire mountain?" Chief asked.

"I don't know, but I have faith in it," Southlynn replied calmly.

"And you have no worry at all that thousands of soldiers will be flocking to the area to pick out any surviving aliens so soon?" Chief asked.

"I have my worry, of course," Southlynn replied. "But this is how to win a war."

"But think, Southlynn, thousands of soldiers are going to be fighting in this environment!" Chief cried, losing her cool for the first time.

"But with any luck, our genetics and HAZMAT armor will protect us, as will whatever Grau's cleanup plan is. Besides, the bomb is supposed to deal with most of our enemies. There may not even be anything left to fight!" Southlynn replied.

"May not," Chief echoed bitterly, but she was running out of arguments against the bomb. She turned to her spouses and council, but none of them could think of anything either. Chief was finally forced to yield again.

"So be it," she said. "Go ahead and drop your silly little bomb. But Denbar help me that if anything goes wrong, you take the fallout."

"Was that a joke?" Southlynn smiled weakly. Chief only scowled back, looking so much like Northson. After that scowl, that brief look of anger and warning, the supreme leader of Denbar turned to go, spouses and council obediently following.

"This is how to win a war!" Southlynn told her as she left. "This is what we must do to save Denbar and destroy the Noctifers!"

"How to win a war? Dare you speak to me on how to win a war?" Chief asked, but she did not stop walking, nor did she turn around. Instead, as she returned to the surface world, she could only scoff bitterly. How to win a war? Surely there were other, less drastic and sordid ways than a nuke. But then again, all was fair in war and war knew no mercy, so perhaps it was fitting that when it came to how to win a war, one had to use the most unforgiving and eternal of all weapons.

With that go-ahead given, Chief issued a call to Captain and Tanya, leaders of Camp Heath and Camp Greene. She finally revealed to them that which she, the Mapps and the Gifted all already knew. She explained the nuke, the attack and the reasoning behind it.

"And do not bother to protest," she deadpanned, voice cold and dark as she spoke on the three-way chat. "It has already been decided. If you wish to rescind, you will have to speak with the Mapps yourself…" then she hung up without another word, leaving Captain and Tanya slack-jawed.

"A nuke?" Captain rasped as Chief's end of the call went dark. "Is she mad?"

"I don't think so," Tanya's voice was severe, but her eyes were fearful. It was clear that she might've sided with Chief, had she learned about the nuke before the final call went out.

"So, are we going to do this?" Captain asked.

"Do we have a choice if we want to win a war?" Tanya replied, then she cut off her line to the call too, leaving Captain to stare at a black screen.

"So we're going to win a war like this?" he asked, but there was no one around to answer. He heaved a sigh. It was time to suit up.

So while the four army camps all got ready to engage in one last battle, Grau took all of his Gifted all at once down into their training center. The time for practice was over, but he had one last thing to tell them all first…

"My dear Gifted," the old man began. "My dear… friends… you have all served me well, no general could be prouder of his soldiers than I, but there is one last thing I must tell you," he paused for effect before continuing. "I must advise you to have a seat," he said. "For it is no small matter. Instead, it is quite serious, and although it may not be important in the long run, I feel you still deserve to hear it and it will not be an easy pill to swallow…" Grau continued to torture his Gifted with hints, implying that his secret he was about to reveal would be a life-changer. Just went the group thought they were going to die from the suspense, however, Grau finally got on with his speech. But first, he chose to explain the history of the Noctifers. This time, though, he told it from a brand-new perspective…

About 200 years ago, the very first Noctifer invasion happened. The Noctifers were a power-hungry alien race bent upon conquering anything they stumbled across. This time, that something just so happened to be the planet known as Earth. Unlike all the other planets they had conquered, though, Earth had something to fight back with: the Denbarians. As small as their numbers were, the sheer shock of running into them sent the Noctifers running home on their very first day on Earth. But the Noctifers didn't go far before returning. When basic ground combat proved ineffective against the humans, as true Noctifers were actually quite small, the aliens tried to outwit humanity. They began experimenting with and on humans until they figured out a way to essentially enslave mankind through some kind of control chip in the brain. The only problem was, the chip severely dulled the humans' minds, leaving the Noctifers with little more than angry animals in human skins. When that first plan failed, although the Noctifers gave up on trying to mind-control humans, they did not give up on human experimentation. On the contrary, they only doubled their efforts, attempting to create something that looked like a human, but behaved like a Noctifer.

Finally, through enough genetic mutation experimentation, the Noctifers had finally managed to create something of a hybrid. It was just like they hoped: a creature that looked like a human but behaved like a Noctifer. The only problem was, the creatures were still incredibly prone to violence and did not understand the finesse of tactical fighting. Although the Noctifers themselves were brilliant, they were unable to create a being that could possess both brute strength and a sharp mind. In the end, they decided a compromise. They began to mutate animal life for brute strength, taking creatures like lions, bears, dogs, badgers, mice, bugs, etc and mutating them into creatures of mass destruction while they reserved humans, the most intelligent of earthly life, for mind work. It was the animal mutations that were most often seen on the battlefields while the real Noctifers often stayed in their Noctifer Nest, issuing orders and plans from behind the scenes.

The Noctifers did still create human hybrids, but they did so in a way that left a human with its intelligence relatively normal, sometimes even elevated! The only problem was, the humans weren't too much stronger than their un-hybridized counterparts. But that mattered not to the Noctifers. They had their human hybrids to act as spies within the human ranks and they had their animal hybrids to act as foot-soldiers. With any luck, they would be able to conquer Denbar without ever lifting a finger. Besides, the human hybrids were still technically stronger than their counterparts, even if it wasn't to the extent that the Noctifers had hoped.

But the problem with their plan was that mutations were not perfect and one such human was mutated incorrectly. He was even weaker than his hybrid brethren, but he was far smarter, and, by some miracle, had a specially mutated gene that gave him a very strange ability. Although he was not faster or stronger than a normal human, he was able to survive a lot more and, as he would come to know, he would not be able to die from natural causes. Or at the very least, not easily. This man, this mess up hybrid, with his human mind and slightly elevated physical abilities, was able to escape the grasp of the Noctifers before being indoctrinated to serve them. He ran all the way to Denbar whereupon he made it his life's mission to end their tyranny. He was able to do this eventually, but the defeat was not final. Instead, the Noctifers only retreated, a lot of their ranks still very much alive. For that, this human hybrid knew for a fact they would be back someday, even if it took centuries for that day to come.

But centuries would pass by quickly for beings who could live as long as Noctifers. For that, the hybrid wasted no time trying to find a way to win a war if the Noctifers should return. Eventually, he settled upon fighting fire with fire. He would create his own human hybrid army just like the Noctifers had, only he would find a better balance between strength and intelligence and create creatures with a human mind but a body better suited to combat and survival. In essence, he was creating more of himself, recreating the messed up process that brought about his own genesis. It took many years, but he did finally succeed, creating one other just like himself. The only difference was that she did not have his intense survivability skill, though the power she had was something that was useful in its own way. Sure, he had been disappointed to think that she would not live forever like he would, but her own power was so amazing that he still considered it something great. He considered it a Gift.

The entire little underground room fell completely silent as Grau finished his tale. Countless lives had just been turned upside down by this revelation that being Gifted was not a natural occurrence as they were all once taught to believe. Sure, maybe the parts about Gifted springing up from the Noctifers was true, but the whole thing about it being radiation when their spaceships fled Earth had been nonsense. That part had been fiction. The real truth of it was that Grau, the messed up hybrid, had created them all with his own two hands for 200 years. In a strange way, he was their father. And as he would come to tell them, there was one more layer to this underground bunker. Right under their feet was the place where they had all been created and "born" before being sent away to various Denbarian orphanages to be raised and loved until the age of 18 when they were to be returned to service in the army.

So, how many lives had just turned out to be a lie? How many of the Gifted were starting to realize that everything they thought was just chance turned out to be a carefully controlled process by the 200-year-old man standing before them? Iris knew she was one of them. For her whole life, she had assumed her eye color was nothing but a genetic mutation and although this was technically still true, she hadn't meant that she assumed the mutation had been intentionally created. But no, that was what she was finding out today. The mutation that gave her those purple eyes, that gave her a Gift, had been hand-crafted by this man before her. He had planned out every single point of her life, even before she was living. He had taken an egg and sperm from donors (as he then revealed that all the Gifted were inherently infertile. It was something some of them already knew while others had yet to consider, being too young to think about having kids) and mixed them up, then carefully controlling the growing embryo's genes until it was about 9 months old, ready to be "born".

Following this strange birth, Iris would've been sent away to find a new home (turned out that she and Rexus both being adopted wasn't such a coincidence as they thought) until she was old enough to come back. It was why Grau had such an interest in her, why he already seemed to know her name before she knew his. He'd been keeping track of her, of all of them! All across the years, he had been watching every single one of his children. Iris then recalled, in a distant memory, what really got her to join the army. Along with playing along with highly patriotic themes and propaganda, a strange man Iris had bumped into on the streets said that she would do very well in the army. Of course, initially, she had scorned the idea, but when the strange man continued to insist how good she'd be, she finally decided to at least take the army recruitment test. The rest was history. And that strange man? He had been a Gifted too, though he died before Iris ever got a chance to meet him. But it sounded like Iris was not his first conquest and Iris briefly wondered how many others in this room had been recruited by the same guy to join the army.

Then Grau spoke briefly of Oliver. As Iris had theorized, she was supposed to be a Gifted too, but something had gone wrong with her process and her genes did not full mutate. Instead, they reverted back to what they would've been had she been entirely normal. Grau wasn't going to dispose of her, though, just because she wasn't born correctly. Instead, he kept her and raised her until birth where she followed in the footsteps of all the other Gifted before her, eventually ending up as Rexus' baby sister. That actually had been dumb luck, Grau promised. Oliver ending up with Rexus was not planned. But that was why her one eye was such a stunningly bright blue. No one knew what her Gift might've been, not even Grau, but at the very least, he knew she should've at least been one of them. He still wasn't sure what had gone wrong with her process either, but what did it matter to him? He had other Gifted he needed to create.

And all along, no one had ever known about this because of how well Grau hid himself. Even 200 years ago, he never let a single soul know what he was up to. And through the years, he had adopted scores of aliases and alibis to hide himself and his work while also maintaining a home in Camp Steuben. What a cunning man he was! And so resourceful and ambitious too! It wasn't every day a man was willing to do anything to stay in one camp and create human hybrids all on his own for two centuries in a literal underground lab.

Iris and the others were in shock. So, Iris' whole life was a lie, a cleverly orchestrated plan, another cog in a giant turning machine. Her birth had been created by human hands, her family had been picked by the same, and her recruitment was designed to bring her back to those hands. And she wasn't even the only one to go through such a meticulous process! She was only one of what might've been hundreds! If the years and numbers were to tally up… But that explained Grau's interest in her and the others. He had known them before they had known themselves and had been waiting and watching for their whole lives, looking for the chance to bring them back. Now, they were all together again in one big, strange, dysfunctional family. After so many years, the truth was finally out and Grau was finally reunited with all his children. It was a glorious moment for him because he really had come to see them all as his kids and it felt so wonderful to tell them, even though they were aghast with the news.

After Grau finished his speech, the other Gifted, or, hybrids, as they now knew, went into a frenzy. A mini riot broke out as 11 Hybrids began to weep and wail in shock and confusion, still screaming questions and demanding answers as they tried to wrap their heads around what Grau was telling them. They continued to throw demands at him, bristling up in anger as their eyes gleamed in a rainbow of angry light.

Grau only watched them passively as they continued to shout at him, and then eventually one another, then he demanded for their silence and, on instinct, they all fell totally and perfectly silent at once. This, as Grau explained, was another thing written into their programming. The Noctifers had created all their servants with the innate compulsion to obey an alpha. Human or animal, whatever the Noctifers created to do their dirty work was made to be genetically compelled to obey. That lessened the odds of resistance and acted as a buffer for the Noctifer because, again, they themselves weren't very strong. All their muscle came from what they built, not from what they possessed. The Gifted shared this obedience trait and anyone they saw as an alpha would be obeyed. It was why they were never able to defy Grau no matter how much they wanted to. It was why he always seemed so persuasive to them. But it wasn't persuasion at all. It was genetic programming. If he issued a direct and clear order, such as the order to be silent, the Gifted would obey.

"Now, if you are all finished with your little riot, we have other things we must attend to at once!" he growled. 11 pairs of glowing eyes followed him as he crossed the room. "We are about to launch our final attack and you, as far as you have come already, are not quite finished. On the contrary, I have one final step for you before you will be ready to survive the bomb and any subsequent battles we have…" the man paused, opening a drawer of a cabinet towards the door of the little room. Inside were 11 needles. Once again, panic erupted, but all it took was a few intimidation tactics to settle everyone down again. That, and Grau had since locked the door and armed himself. Maybe it was 11 against one, but that one was incredibly strong and smart, even after 200 years. No one dared to cross him.

"It's just one last dose," he promised, handing the needles out. For a moment, no one moved, but then Emerald stabbed her arm.

"Why not?" she growled as she squeezed the plunger. It was clear she was deeply hurt by Grau's confession, but not enough to shake her endless devotion to him and, even now, she was willing to be the first to do as he said just because he said so. Vesper followed suit not long after, for similar reasons as Emerald. Then Wilde followed, not wanting to be seen as a coward for trying to hide, then Kit followed xem, then Scarlet went, then two of the new kids went, then Rexus went, crying out for Oliver as he did so, then Edward went, then Jalux went. Soon, only Iris remained.

"Well?" Grau's voice was nearly impossible to catch.

"Why?" hers was just as soft. Were those tears in her purple eyes? He couldn't tell.

"Because," he replied. She only gave him a disappointed look, shook her head in a mixture of sadness and anger, and then jabbed in her needle and squeezed. She followed the others into their unconscious state. One by one, each of the Gifted gained a far-off look that made it seem like they weren't entirely there. Then they collapsed.

"Because," Grau repeated to the still and silent room and the still and silent bodies that filled it. "Because it is how to win a war. Sometimes, dirty tricks, twisted secrets and wicked deeds are the only way to win a war…" the old man stared sadly down at the motionless bodies of his creations, his children, and then he got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Dun, dun, DUUUUNNNN. They were hybrids all along! (I hope this plot-twist was at least a little satisfying and not too obvious, though it is definitely cliché). Also, again, more BS sci-fi science, what with gene-alterations and hybridization and lack of logic about how a messed up hybrid receives a Gift. I apologize for that, but I won't apologize for this chapter, I had a freaking blast writing it! It's probably my favorite in this section of the story! 
> 
> Also, to clarify, the Noctifers themselves are supposed to be somewhat human in the sense that they are small and intelligent. They, however, hide within the mountain. The creatures that Iris and friends have been fighting are creations of the Noctifers, analogous to Pokémon where the humans are the ones that initiate battles, but creatures/animals/monsters do the physical fighting for them.
> 
> Also also, for some minor trivia, Noctifers are actually heavily inspired off of the Fusions from the Cartoon Network MMORPG: Fusion Fall (which is available to play for free if you just search for it). In the same way Lord Fuse hides out in his lair and sends out twisted mockeries of real-world animals and objects, to fight the player characters, so too do the Noctifers hide in their nest, sending out mutated animals to do their invading for them. 
> 
> (And the name Noctifer means "night-bearer" because it's my headcanon that their first attack happened during the night and the Denbarians named them accordingly).


	60. Rallying the Troops

While all of this transpired in Camp Steuben, everyone in Camp Heath was totally oblivious to it, far too busy trying to rally their own troops to even notice that one of their ranks was missing. Even the girlfriend of that missing member was suffering from this circumstantially-induced forgetfulness, the purple-eyed soldier not crossing her mind even once during this tumultuous time.

"So we're finally getting ready for a final assault?" Storm asked, running alongside Maxim and Captain as Captain briskly explained what Chief had told him. The woman already knew about the nuke so she wasn't nearly as flustered as Maxim was, but at the same time, to hear that it was finally actually going to be dropped was enough to rally her excitement.

"It seems so," Captain grunted briskly, still clearly disturbed and angered by the news. He had yet to decide whether or not he thought this was a good idea, but like Chief said, it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was his obedience and he figured that he should at least bring the troops over in case something did happen. Camp Heath was a place of loyalty and they would always have Denbar's back, no matter what.

"And you think this is a good idea?!" Maxim fretted, panting to keep up with his husband. Captain might've been far heavier and fatter, but Maxim was still barely able to keep pace. Storm would've easily outrun them both, but she had glued herself to Captain's side as he spoke. The three of them were running as one, all of them discussing Chief's announcement urgently.

As Maxim struggled to keep up with his husband and his biggest enemy at Camp Heath, his mind was running far faster than his body. He tried to make a mental note of all the issues this bomb would present, beyond the obvious. Even though he really didn't have any right or reason to know about the bomb sooner, he couldn't help but feel deeply offended that no one had told him about it until now. He silently berated the Mapps and Chief for withholding this from him when he could've helped out. Storm could tell that his ignorance to the bomb was angering him and she almost considered bragging to him that she had known all along, but she had better sense than that in a time like this, so she held her tongue instead.

"No idea," Captain grunted. His voice was clipped, a very rare thing for someone as naturally warm and kind as him.

"But we're going anyway?" Storm guessed.

"Of course," Captain growled. Storm grinned inwardly.

"I'll make the call," she said.

"Please do," Captain replied. Storm then picked up her pace, running to the heart of Camp Heath where she bellowed out four simple words:

"WE'RE RALLYING THE TROOPS!"

It took a bit, but in time, all of Camp Heath was standing before Storm, Captain and Maxim. The trio then proceeded to tell everyone to suit up because they were all heading east to Camp Steuben where they were going to launch one last assault on the Noctifers. None of them mentioned the nuke to the other Camp Heath soldiers just in case there were any Noctifer spies listening in, but they were not shy in telling every soldier to start strapping on armor and getting ready to go right then and there. It was a bit impromptu, but that was war! There wasn't always a rhyme or reason and there certainly wasn't always time to issue ordered, planned actions. This was one of those times.

For the rest of the day, Camp Heath was a flurry of activity. Soldiers of all kind raced all around camp, getting everything in order and prepping for what was sure to be a final battle. The only people forbidden from fighting were those who physically could not (the seriously sick or injured). Everyone else though, youngest to oldest, weakest to strongest, was suiting up and rolling out.

"I can't believe this is actually happening!" Gale hopped from foot to foot as he suited up, donning a strange set of armor that had been shipped into Camp Heath just a few days prior. Apparently, every camp had received it and it was mandatory for every soldier to wear. In hindsight, it had probably come from Chief or someone who'd known about the bomb. The material looked very thick and strong and almost HAZMAT-y. The Camp Heath soldiers just hadn't realized this sooner.

"I can't either!" Tempest muttered, donning a similar suit of her own. "I never thought I'd live to see this day."

"If only we can hope to see the end of it!" Gale replied. He had meant for it to be a joke, but Tempest stopped suiting up to look into his dark eyes.

"If one or both of us doesn't end up surviving…" she began, but she didn't even need to finish before Gale had leaned over to kiss her. That one simple action, that one simple touch of the lips, said more than any word ever could. When the husband and wife broke apart, there was a new light in both of their eyes and they finished suiting up quickly before joining the other rallying troops outside.

Along the way, the Longs, Lockewoods and Rusty were sharing a similar exchange, also wearing this new armor.

"Are you ready for this?" asked Dr. Lockewood asked Mae as the two of them started packing to go. Jason had not left his mother's side since Captain's notice came out. Even now, at 21, he was still just as much a Mama's Boy as always, not that anyone cared. On the contrary, they found his devotion to his mother to be very beautiful and no one said a thing as he continued to cling to his mother's arm, suddenly looking too small for his HAZMAT armor.

"As I'll ever be," Mae murmured. Both of them were packing as much medical supplies as they could carry. "I just wish Iris were here…" she watched Jason help his mother with a small flare of envy in her heart that Iris wasn't there too.

"Yeah, it's been a few days, hasn't it?" Lester asked consolingly, helping his wife carry her burden. "But I'm sure we'll see her again before any of this begins. She always manages to come back to us, doesn't she?" for a moment, Lester began to whimper and a few tears escaped from his eyes. It was his current greatest fear that either he or one of his family members would die before they were all together again. Mae understood and felt a painful tightening in her chest, throat and eyes as she thought about Iris.

"Don't worry, we'll see her again. I know it," Rusty promised, coming up to hug Lester. Once again, the gray-haired man was speaking with a voice of conviction and even though he had no proof that this was true, he couldn't help but feel like it was. It was a feeling so strong he couldn't deny it. Perhaps Mae and Lester heard that note of conviction. Perhaps they realized Rusty was speaking from more than just idle hope. Either way, it was enough to bring hope and happiness back into their somber faces and they managed just one more smile at their oldest friend. Somehow, even without any proof, all three of them knew Rusty was correct. They would all be reunited again at least once…

Rallying the troops took a few hours more, but once everyone was ready, they hit the subway and called the longest subway cart they could before mounting it to Camp Steuben. Camp Heath ended up arriving at the same time Camp Greene did. Camp Heath's cart stopped once it detected Camp Greene's and it waited until the Camp Greene cart had been sent away before continuing on the last few feet of its journey. Then, the Camp Heath soldiers dismounted, following their Camp Greene friends up and into Camp Steuben where all of their soldiers were at attention, Grau at their head. Every single soldier in the massive company had that same HAZMAT armor.

Camp Reed was the very last to arrive and for a moment, it seemed like not everyone would fit into Camp Steuben.

"I've never seen so many people!" Storm murmured, still firmly attached to Captain's side. Captain could hear a note of displeasure in her voice and smiled sympathetically down at her. He knew she didn't do well with people, especially in a crowed and contained area such as this.

"It will simmer down once everyone has a place to stand," Captain told her to console her. "We just need to wait."

"Where is Iris?" the blond demanded next, trying to find another thing to distract her from all this chaos. "I haven't seen her in awhile."

"You know, I don't know," Captain admitted, suddenly feeling ashamed that he had lost track of one of his soldiers.

"Do you think she's here?" Storm demanded, growing more worried and, thusly, more angry.

"If she wasn't before, she will be now," Captain tried to calm the blond before she had some meltdown.

"But how will I find her again? How will I see her?!" Storm was getting dangerously close to shouting now and it was only by the luck of fate that Tempest managed to reach her and start calming her. Captain thanked her in silent gratitude and she shrugged it off before wrapping an arm around Storm and trying to soothe her about Iris, though she herself was wondering where the tiny brunette could've gotten off to. She disappeared so fast and so often, didn't she? It was amazing even she could keep track of herself, wasn't it?

For the rest of the day and into the late evening, the massive crowd idled around Camp Steuben, waiting for a plan of attack. Grau said that he was waiting for a good time to strike and waiting for a signal. He would not explain what that signal was, but a select few knew for a fact he was referring to the bomb. Those who knew waited with bated breath.

"Do you think it'll work?" Storm asked Jason. She still didn't like him, but at a time like this, she was willing to talk to him if only to calm herself.

"I don't know," he replied ruefully. "Lianna said it should and she showed me all the calculations and tests…" the young man trailed off, clearly concerned not only for himself and the bomb, but for Lianna as well.

"You haven't seen her recently, have you?" asked Storm. Jason shook his head. Storm had the feeling he might start crying soon, but for once, she could hardly blame him. It would be so easy for both of them to die without ever saying goodbye to their loved ones. Poor Jason must've been terrified at the thought of losing himself, Lianna, or both to the tide of war. And without even getting one final farewell?

Storm was equally terrified of losing Iris, or at the very least, of not getting to see her at least once before their last battle. Seriously, where was that girl?! Surely she knew Storm was here and surely she'd know that Storm was waiting for her! So what gave? Why wasn't Iris coming? The blond grew antsy again as she thought about her little lover. It hurt her heart to think they may never meet again, so she tried her hardest to reassure herself that Iris was coming, she just needed time. But when night fell and Iris still hadn't appeared to her, she began to despair. What if something had already happened to Iris? Or if Iris didn't want to come for some reason? Perhaps Iris was just as scared as Storm and thought it would be easier if they went into the last battle without a farewell. Storm could see the logic in that, but it scared her deeply. Even if Iris was worried a final farewell might make it too hard to walk into the face of death, Storm still wanted the chance to see those beautiful purple eyes again, even if only for a moment. Where was Iris?!

Storm and the other soldiers went to sleep on the ground they stood upon, rolling out tents and blankets that Grau had been kind enough to order before rallying the troops. According to him, this would be their last night's sleep before the big battle the next morning. This was not a comforting thought and helped zero people get to sleep, but the overall excitement and exhaustion that came with the war still had everyone out cold eventually. Additionally, it was springtime, so it was neither too hot nor too cold. Sleeping outside was quite comfortable during this time of year and that, combined with the exhaustion of war, took its toll upon everyone. Eventually, even Storm, stressed as she was, managed to get to sleep. To her left, Maxim and Captain were curled up in each other's arms. To her right, Gale and Tempest had fallen asleep in a similar position. A few yards away, Mae and Lester were curled up together and Rusty was burrowed deep under his own blanket, only a lump visible. Above her, Dr. Lockewood was sleeping soundly. Storm couldn't see Jason anywhere. Storm fell asleep then, wishing that she could at least see Iris in her dreams and she wondered briefly if Jason would ever find Lianna, whether in the waking world or the dreaming one.

In the end, though, it was Lianna who found Storm.

"Storm? Hey! Storm! Psst! Wake up!" Lianna whisper-yelled into Storm's face, shaking her awake.

"Huh?! What? Who's there?! What is it?!" Storm sat up, whispering right back as she forcefully rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The moment she saw Lianna's blond hair glowing faintly in the half moon over their heads, her blue eyes filled with a rage. "LIANNA SPYRE? WHY IN THE NAME OF DENBAR ARE YOU WAKING ME UP THE NIGHT BEFORE OUR FINAL BATTLE?!" she whisper-yelled loud enough to nearly wake Gale, Tempest, Captain and Maxim.

"Shhh!" Lianna pleaded.

"Don't you tell me to hush!" Storm snarled back at her, but Lianna continued to plead with her, their rivalry forgotten by her just for this one night.

"It's Iris!" the blond pleaded, and that was all Storm needed to hear before she too forgot their quarrels.

A few minutes later, Storm was carefully running through Camp Steuben with Lianna and a few others, trying to avoid the mass of sleeping soldiers all around them.  
"What are we doing?" Storm snarled in confusion as they ran on through the dark, crowded camp.

"Where are we going so late?" one of the other runners, a girl with dark red hair, echoed, soft voice instantly calming everybody.

"Just keep running," Lianna said sharply.

"Let's just say that all your friends are being kept in slavery right now," Jason murmured nervously.

"What?!" Storm and the others all whisper-yelled in horror.

"Shhh!" another runner, a large bald man covered in scars, put a sausage finger to cut up lips, a nervous look in his eyes. Everyone else mimicked the movement to swear their silence, but they couldn't deny that Jason' words were very worrying…

The reality was much worse. Jason and Lianna led the others straight to Grau's office.

"Are you mad?!" a third runner asked. It was Westford, Storm recognized his voice though she hadn't realized it was him earlier, before he had spoken. Jason and Lianna only pleaded for his silence before pushing open the iron door. The office was empty. Jason and Lianna led the way to the back wall where a secret door was left partially open.

"What?" Storm breathed. Jason and Lianna opened the door.

"Should we go?" the redhead mouthed. The large man shrugged and turned to Storm.

"If Iris is there, then yes," the blond replied, throwing herself into the hole without another thought. Her companions followed her in, leaving the large man to lumber in last. The group was all squished into a thin staircase.

"Don't make a noise when you see this," Jason pleaded. "Let's go," then he led them into the lower chambers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Things are heating up again! Now everyone else is going to find out about what Grau has done and, as I'm sure you can guess, none of them are going to be very happy...


	61. Dark Discovery

"Iris!" Storm let out a hoarse cry as she took in the sight of her lover, crawling around on a smooth tile floor like a wild animal, bent over and on all fours, sniffing at the tiles listlessly. She paused to make a few animalistic noises before crawling away. There were a few others doing likewise, but Storm had eyes only for Iris. Speaking of eyes, the thing that had once been Iris' most interesting feature had become the most horrific. They were completely solid, no whites or pupils. Only irises, pure purple.

"Oh my!" Oliver breathed, covering her mouth in horror as she saw her big brother among the group. "My poor, Rexy and Jalux!" Rexus was ambling around the hall with Iris, copper eyes shining like mini suns. Jalux was curled up in the corner, staring listlessly at the ceiling.

"Sweet Denbar!" Westford shook his head as he watched his friends and one-time crush scurrying around on the ground.

"Scarlet!" Theodore whimpered. A once-gorgeous lady went loping around like a pig, making low growling noises all the time. She was still definitely a stunner, gorgeous body and even features, but the state she was in was so pathetic it was pitiable. And it seemed an especially cruel fate to one as kind, gentle and sweet as her.

"What happened?" Oliver asked finally, voice soft and strained, horrified at such a dark discovery. Her heart went out to Storm. She could sense that the blond was bordering on a mental breakdown, seeing Iris like this, like a wild beast.

"Grau," Jason answered grimly. In the back, Iris let out a squeak like a mouse before running in several, violent circles, still on hands and feet both.

"What?" Storm turned sharply to the boy. Jason then explained the dark discovery he and Lianna had made …

During the day of waiting after the initial rallying of the troops, Jason and Lianna did manage to reunite against all odds. Following a very sappy and happy reunion, the two then went looking for Iris. It had been Jason's idea, him hoping to find Iris for Storm since he'd been able to find Lianna. Once again, he and Storm were not friends, but when Storm had offered her sympathy over his worry for Lianna, he felt it only fair to help her find Iris. When Iris never showed up, however, Jason and Lianna hunted for her.

Eventually, they even went to ask Grau, but they managed to arrive at a time when he was exiting his office building. There was something shifty about the way his hooded head was sweeping back and forth. It was enough for the pair to decide to do a bit of exploring. It had been Lianna's idea, but Jason agreed shortly after she gave him a few kisses and some puppy eyes. Together, the two lovers entered the little office building as soon as Grau had gone and they managed to find that secret door to the underground bunker. Inside, they discovered Iris and a few others, all moving around the halls like wild animals, snuffling and on all fours. They wasted no time in fleeing the place in horror, waiting for the perfect moment to tell someone about their dark discovery. When that time came, while Grau was out conversing with the other camp leaders, they took their chances and woke everyone up…

Once the story was over, while everyone else watched Jason and Lianna sympathetically, Storm wanted to scream. She wanted to yell at this idiot boy and his daft lover for not doing anything to help, or at least doing anything sooner than just a few hours before the last battle. Luckily, though, Storm had the wisdom and control to stay quiet and she tried to remind herself that Jason was just a boy. Such a fearful and powerless response like running away and waiting for someone stronger to come along and help was natural. Yelling at him would not help, no matter how much she wanted to do it. Besides, his intentions had been good. He had wanted to find Iris for Storm. She owed him that. And it was probably thanks to this that this dark discovery had been made at all. Although it felt strange to say it, Storm knew she owed Jason double tonight: one for looking for Iris and one for finding her.

Storm turned back to her companions and noticed that every single one was crying. Even the big muscle-man, Theodore! Storm couldn't help but roll her eyes despite the seriousness of the moment. Of course this situation was bad, but seeing this giant warrior crying was a bit much. Crying wouldn't help anyone anyway. It was a waste of time and energy. It was clear that this man was big, but he was not bad. He was just like Captain. Captain. Captain! Storm's eyes shot open as she suddenly got an idea.

"We need to wake the leaders," Storm whispered. "And expose this dark discovery," she gestured back to the animalistic humans. The others, jerked awake by Storm's firm orders, obeyed. Her commissar side was back. Together, the small group fled the secret underground cave.

"We'll come back for you!" Oliver whispered over her shoulder. Not a single one of the animalistic-soldiers responded. In spite of that, though, Storm couldn't help but agree with the smaller soldier. She turned back to Iris specifically.

"I'll save you," she murmured determinedly. "I promise," then she and the others resurfaced and took off running back to camp.

10 minutes later, the small group was back in the underground chamber. This time, they all had their leaders and deputies with them, minus Grau who was off talking to some of his human soldiers at the moment. But that was fine, just fine. It would give the others time to look upon the dark discovery before they called Grau out on it. Jason led the way back with this new group of leaders and deputies. As before, several horrified gasps echoed the dreary chamber when they were all exposed to what had become of their once-brilliant soldiers. In the eerie silence was the occasional grunt or chatter as the animals soldiers continued to crawl through the chamber and over each other, totally blind to all else. Whatever the noise was, it wasn't human. After the group took in all they needed to see, they left again for the outside world.

Another five minutes later, the entire army of Denbar was awake with Grau and everyone else involved in the dark discovery at the center of it, making the grim announcement of the truth to the tired soldiers. It amazed the camp leaders and the soldiers with them how easily Grau took to being caught, but they refused to give him the satisfaction of their fear. Instead, as they physically yanked him away from his conversation, demanding that he tell the truth, they only sneered when he agreed to do so with an obviously triumphant tone. Some of them wondered if Grau hadn't intentionally set things up so that the dark discovery would be made. They wouldn't put it past Grau to do something tricky like that. They called him out on his evil deeds and forced him to confess to the masses. When they trembled under his strange serenity, Storm took charge, showing the old man no mercy as she thought about what he had done to the one thing she loved most in the world.

"Now, go call them and bring them back here!" she snarled. "I want the rest of the army to hear of and see your crimes! You aren't just going to tell the world, you are going to show them!" she demanded, and again, Grau complied.

The whole army stood in a ring around Grau and his corrupt soldiers once he brought them out of hiding. Hundreds of eyes widened in horror as hundreds of bodies recoiled. Suddenly, they were all very much awake, the last of their drowsiness gone the moment Grau emerged from his office with 11 creatures scrambling at his heels like obedient hunting dogs.

"The truth, Grau!" Tanya snarled at him first. "Tell them all the truth! What did you do to these soldiers?!" her wife had to physically restrain her.

"I only ever reverted them back to what they always were," Grau answered calmly, not at all bothered by how outnumbered he was.

"What do you mean you reverted them?!" Captain boomed. Storm was just as mad. Seeing Iris loping around Grau's feet like a dog was sickening.

"They were not savages before! They were not animals before!" Storm turned to see Maxim elbowing his way over to Captain. Storm would've been annoyed had she not agreed. For once, they both seemed to be on the same page about something.

"How?!" Northson growled at the same time. "Did you torture them? Why do they behave like feral, untrained animals now?! What did you do to them?!" Storm had never seen him look so passionate. Southlynn and Westford stood at his side, looking just as mad.

"Not animals or savages, dear friends," Grau smirked. "Noctifers," a gasp filled the air and Grau cackled.

In just 10 minutes, Grau had sent the whole army reeling as he told them the very same thing he'd told his Gifted soldier a little over 24 hours ago. They all were struck dumb with shock and horror as they finally realized what exactly they were looking at. Storm, herself, collapsed under the weight of the realization that her beloved one, her girlfriend, was 50% Noctifer, 50% the very monster she'd spent the past nearly 15 years trying to defeat. That sweet little Iris, brave, supportive and selfless, was a Noctifer. As Storm fell to her knees, Gale and Tempest fell with her and all three of them looked on in new, horrified realization as they took in Iris' pure purple eyes again.

"Oh, Iris!" Storm breathed. Then she shook her head. No. This was not Iris. Her Iris was bright and beautiful. This creature in her place was hollow and ugly. It was unseeing. The purple eyes did not miss a single detail, but they didn't see either. There was no realization when they met Storm's blue eyes. The blond let out a weak sob when Iris' eyes met hers, but there was no emotional connection there. There was no response to be had. Storm felt her eyes burn with tears, but nothing fell. Iris turned away, not understanding what had just happened. Storm felt Gale and Tempest both tighten their hold on her, trying to support her just as much as they were trying to support themselves in light of this dark discovery.

"Grau! I swear I will have you on the charge of unethical treatment of loyal soldiers!" Captain boomed as the army found its voice again. He shook a big meaty fist at the old man in the black robe, continuing to shout out his threats.

"It'll be the death sentence!" Tanya agreed in a shrill voice, eyes burning. Nobody had ever heard such a violent thing come from her before, but when they looked into her eyes, they could see how much it hurt to see Kit and Wilde twitching around as they crawled at Grau's feet.

"No it won't," Grau answered lazily in a way that set everybody's blood on fire. Protests grew louder still and cries for vengeance were just as bad. It infuriated every single soldier to see how calmly Grau was taking this discovery and how apathetic he seemed to the plight of his soldiers, though from the way he had confessed to his crimes, it was clear that Grau had been waiting for this moment for a very long time now. Of course he would be reveling in the soldiers' reactions instead of cowering away from their combined fury.

"Try us!" now it was Dr. Lockewood who cried out, face contorted in fury. She shoved her way through the sea of soldiers to Grau with a dagger in hand. Maybe Iris and Jason were no longer a couple, but Dr. Lockewood still cared for the tiny brunette and she knew her son did as well.

"You murderer!" Rusty chimed in, joining Dr. Lockewood. It was clear he felt the same way about all of this that she did. The word "fury" was not enough to describe the rage and hatred flooding his veins the longer he looked at Iris. He may not have had a dagger like Dr. Lockewood, but he knew full well he would not hesitate to fight Grau with his bare hands if needed. See?! He knew Iris had been doomed! But that foolish girl promised that she would be fine! Oh! If only he had trusted his gut sooner, back when he first arrived at the army. Then he could've saved her. But just like Clover, he had failed. And now Iris was gone too…

Lester and Mae were too angry for words, unspeakable wrath clogging their throats as they stood by Dr. Lockewood and Rusty, just as ready for a fight as anyone. They remembered Rusty promising that they would all be together again. The words left a bitter taste in their mouths now. The irony was almost unbearable. But Grau's amusement at their grief was enough to keep them going. They both promised at once to avenge their daughter and save her if they could. Mae's pale green eyes glittered with tears over her daughter. It pained her more than a thousand knives to see her like that. Lester squeezed her arm to let her know he felt the same way, his own eyes nothing but slits of hatred as he glared down Grau. That old man had a lot of nerve to act as high and mighty as he was. He might've thought himself brilliant, but he was alone in such thinking.

"You'll pay in blood for what you've done to my daughter, you monster!" Lester snarled at Grau. Rusty, Mae and Lisa all nodded in agreement.

"Ok," Grau shrugged his robed shoulders. He let out a high-pitched whistle, then the previously-listless animal-soldiers came to life.

The army all recoiled in fear and horror as the feral soldiers jumped to their feet and began roaring, snarling and shrieking like animals. Their eyes began to glow like fire and they clawed at anybody who came too close.

"Well, aren't you going to execute me?" Grau taunted over the noises his soldiers were making. Storm decided to take his challenge head on and she stepped forward, raising her sword. But the moment she came just a bit too close, Iris lunged at her. A shrieking snarl came from her twisted lips as she clawed Storm's arm. Storm cried out in pain, recoiling and pulling a bloody arm with her. Captain threw a glance her, his heart breaking for her. The look of pain on Storm's face was agonizing to see. And the reason was because her pain didn't come from the wound, rather, it came from the one who gave it to her. Iris. Sweet, loving, protective, polite Iris had attacked her own girlfriend. There was no remorse on her face as she lapped the blood with an almost curious look. Storm was hardly aware of the blood dripping down her arm as she watched it drip from Iris' lips.

"Why are you doing this?!" a voice wept when nobody else stepped forward. It was Lianna. Nobody had ever heard her sound so sad. "Please, why are you doing this?" she repeated, sounding devastated. Captain saw Westford rub her back and Jason touch her arm. Oliver was a few feet away, on her knees as her blue and green eyes looked helplessly at Rexus. He didn't even spare her a single glance.

"Because, my dear, I need them to help vanquish the Noctifers…" then Grau segued into a new speech. It was clear, from his smug voice, that he'd wanted to reveal this witty plan for years and years, and now, he was going to enjoy every last little word for all of his efforts and secrets and suffering. The other soldiers were in unanimous dislike of the mysterious old man, but nobody dared interrupt as he continued to speak.

"Now, if you will allow, let me tell you my glorious plan!" he said, and everyone reluctantly allowed him to finish...

"So you see, friends, I am no villain. I am a hero," Grau concluded. Several soldiers scoffed, but nobody would step forward. "I have created the ultimate weapon against the Noctifers. Now, you can either concede and come with me to war and follow my glorious plan, or stay in this dispute against a friend and let the Noctifers take over. What will it be?" his words hung dangerously in the air. Instinctively, everybody wanted to stay at war with Grau for his inhumane treatment of these soldiers, but at the same time, they knew this was an idealistic plot. This was the old dilemma of how far one should go to win a war, as if they hadn't faced that decision long enough already. How was this condition of these soldiers any different than the scores that had lost their lives over the course of these Noctifer wars? So what should they do? Punish Grau, or follow him to battle with the feral soldiers? Should they stand up for this one injustice now and risk losing a shot at ending the war? Or should they overlook this injustice and hope for the best against the Noctifers?

In the end, the choice was made for them. Just a few hours before dawn, a distant explosion shook the ground and burned the sky with a fire brighter than the sun. All eyes shut and hands went to ears as the roar of a behemoth split the fiery sky. The ground continued to shake and moan in fear and pain for a good 10 seconds before the hullaballoo finally settled, the sky slowly darkening and quieting as the world fell still.

"I believe that was our signal," Grau said serenely. Then he began to march east, towards the site of the explosion. His 11 faithful soldiers loped happily after him. The rest of the army slowly, reluctantly, followed after, ears and hearts still rattling from the massive explosion. It was then that another dark discovery was made by the army: what Grau's master plan had been all along. The bomb. And had it succeeded? Well, they were going to find out soon, weren't they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Dun, dun, DUNNNN! (again). Now, it's time to take a peek into the last battle... (Also, disclaimer about the BS science again. I know it's dangerous to drop a nuke when you're still within a few miles of it and you certainly shouldn't go towards the wreckage the moment the bomb drops but, you know what? This is a crappy sci-fi story. It can happen. Just suspend your disbelief... again. Thanks!)


	62. Victory

When the army finally reached the Noctifer Nest, a lot of the dust had already settled. The troops walked through the smoking remains of the Noctifer Nest with their eyes up and their weapons out. It frightened them how effective the nuke really had been, that entire massive mountain nothing but flattened ground now, but it frightened them even more to think about all the fallout that was surely surrounding them all now and how there might still be a few Noctifers crawling around in the rubble. What they didn't know, however, was that the radiation was already being worked on with every step they took. The way Grau had timed everything, just a few minutes into the march up to the Noctifer Nest, he had excused himself and his Gifted to move on ahead and reach the Nest before anyone else. It was his command that everyone else wait behind by an hour. No one particularly had wanted to heed this command, but by now, not a single soul in the army had enough will to even try to stand up to Grau anymore. Instead, they let him go and obediently hung back for that extra hour.

Once there, Iris wasted no time in doing what she did best. Meanwhile, the soldiers left behind continued to take the few hours worth of a walk (it was multiple hours because Grau had demanded that they take a break at the halfway mark partially for their own benefit and for Iris') up to the Nest. They arrived while Iris was still busy decaying everything, but they didn't know that, so they continued to tread the land with caution. Even though they knew their armor had been specifically designed for this moment, the idea of all that radiation still scared them. Iris was strong and fast, but it was still going to take a lot of time and energy to totally detoxify the area, not that anyone outside of the Gifted knew that.

"So, is there anything still left alive, or not?" Gale was the first to speak since Grau issued the command for a break before vanishing from view with the Hybrid soldiers at his heels.

"Who can say?" Tempest replied, clinging to his arm in fright. The soldiers continued to explore the rubble. They found scores of corpses, but nothing moving. At least not at first. But then one of the Hybrids uttered a chilling screech that undulated up from the throat and filled the skies. No one needed an explanation to understand. Sure, the nuke had devastated the Noctifer ranks, but the Noctifers were an inherently militaristic species and their creations were just as hardy. It was foolish to think one small bomb would end them all, even if that bomb was a Plutonium nuke. The final battle was only just beginning and it was going to be one heck of a fight.

Suddenly, the smoking rubble of the Noctifer Nest mountain had come alive with angry life forms all hungry for blood and revenge. Sure, their numbers were down to 100 instead of 1000, but that didn't mean the surviving 100 was an easy victory. On the contrary, if anything, the surviving 100 was even harder to kill than any other Noctifer that Denbar had faced in the past. It took all the Denbarian soldiers' combined efforts to take down the last 100 and even then, with the threat of fallout and uneven terrain, it was hardly an easy fight.

"YAHHH!" Captain thundered, wielding two massive axes as he charged headfirst at anything foolish enough to fall in his line of sight. Maxim was close behind, using a bow and arrow. It wasn't quite as devastating, but his aim wasn't too shabby. In the distance, Tempest and Gale were fighting back to back. Tempest had throwing knives while Gale was using a broadsword. Jason and Lianna were in a similar position. Northson and Southlynn were busy fighting with whatever they could find, including the bones of dead Noctifers. They had left their son in charge of the party staying behind in case any of the 100 Noctifers managed to escape and run towards Camp Steuben.

Tanya was fighting with her trademark labrys while her wife, who stood beside her, was fighting with a massive spear that doubled as a staff based on how much of the metal tip of the spear was extending out from the body of the staff. Theodore was fighting with a massive hammer. His Camp Steuben brethren around him were using knives and posioned darts. Oliver was fighting with a rapier while the rest of Camp Reed, minus the Mapps, were using long-range weapons like bows.

Then was Storm, the warrior queen. Ever since her first day in the army, she had been a legend of impossible strength and skill. She was almost 14 years older now, but she was still as brave and strong as ever. Age had taken nothing from her body and mind and she still moved as swiftly and powerfully as ever, her sword but a glittering silver arc of death. She never stopped moving and nearly every swipe of her sword landed a blow. Her strength and determination never waned, seeming only to grow with each passing second as she pressed on through the enemy lines, fury and love, both for Iris and her country, pushing her on despite her injuries. Although every soldier would go down in history for their brave actions in this last battle, Storm's story would be told the loudest, for it was like watching the return of a goddess as she spun around in this dance of death, bringing back the Amazon that Denbar used to laude as its savior. Those who were able to fight beside her would forever brag about it.

"FOR DENBAR!" the woman thundered as she struck another fierce blow. Those in the vicinity echoed the cry and braced themselves for more.

In time, however, casualties began to set in. People began to fall. One of the first that Storm watched die was Rusty. The man had come along despite everyone, including Mae and Lester, begging him to stay back with the home party. He had refused, however, insisting that it was his destiny to join the final fight despite how low his personal survival odds were.

He actually managed to do far better than anyone would've expected, but in the end, it still wasn't enough. He finally ended up being thrown off his feet. He landed hard on his back on a rocky overhang that stood about 10 feet off the ground. He was in agony with no place to go. Storm was nearby when he fell and she was sure she heard bones breaking when he landed. Their eyes locked and Rusty's silent question was louder than the cries of war.

"No," Storm mouthed. "No, no, I can't do that!" she murmured, but Rusty continued to plead silently up with her until she reached where he lay, spread-eagled on the outcropping of stone. Their eyes met for a third and final time before she brought her sword down. As the sword went down, hot blood came spurting back up and Rusty had bled out in less than a second, his life essence pumping viciously out of the huge and gaping wound in his throat. It sprayed onto Storm and she cringed as it stained her sword a color that was far too bright for what had just happened. Rusty's hair was red again, but it wasn't the right shade at all.

Following Rusty's death, the woman finally began to feel genuine fear, shaken by what she had just done. Now, death seemed a little bit more real to her and she wondered briefly if she might be next. Or if Iris might be next. That thought scared her more than anything, except maybe the thought that suggested that she might already be dead. Or that if they both lived, Iris would never wake up from whatever coma Grau had put her in. Or if she did, she would hate Storm for what she did to Rusty. Or that something might happen to Iris' parents. Or that-

"Ooof!" Storm ended up getting butted in the gut by what looked like a mutated Noctifer horse. The pain of the blow sent her reeling. Right before two big hooves could crush her skull, however, the horse was shot down, an arrow going through both of its eyes. It dropped dead at once. Storm turned to her savior in surprise. Maxim Roths. Storm almost wished that the mutated horse had crushed her when their eyes met.

"Come Storm! I expected better of you!" he sounded cross. Even now, he was being a nitpicking jerk! But maybe this was a good thing. It got Storm back on her feet. She saluted him quickly, a thanks for saving her life. Maxim nodded once before vanishing into the fray again.

Storm ran in the opposite direction, returning to madly stabbing and slashing at anything that got too close, the entire world a rainbow of chaos. She saw new and old faces of friend and foe alike, but none of them stuck with her as she looked for the next alien to kill. At last, a massive bear came charging down at her, killing four soldiers on its way over to her. Storm engaged it fearlessly and was able to fight it for a solid three minutes before it finally unbalance her. She was still on her feet, but it had gained an upper hand.

"I'll go down fighting then!" the woman decided. "COME ON, YOU!" Storm was almost as wild as the Noctifer about to kill her as she raised her sword one last time. The mutated bear raised its massive paw, but again it never came down. Captain had bounded onto the bear's back out of nowhere and was bashing away at its skull with his axe. Storm took her chance and blinded the Noctifer bear by spearing its eye, but that only made the monster angrier. It couldn't dislodge Captain, so it simply rolled over onto its back and crushed him.

"CAPTAIN!" Storm hollered. She beat at the bear until it rolled over again, but this time, in death. Captain was still alive, but barely. She had no clue how much the bear had ruptured, but she knew it was enough to kill.

"Bait," he pointed at himself, then to another Noctifer who drawing near. Storm understood this order and she almost began to cry.

"What? No! I can't do that! Please don't ask me to do that!" she may not have always gotten along with her leader, but Captain was the first to accept her when nobody else would. How could she just throw him to the Noctifer to buy herself more time? He was practically her father! Captain, breath coming in gasps now because of his crushed lungs, only repeated his order over and over until Storm caved.

"Fine!" she sobbed. "But please forgive me!" then she threw her blade. It hit the bull's side. Angry, the bull turned to Storm. Her blue eyes met Captain's dim brown eyes one last time before she went running. The bull charged forward, reaching Captain just as the dying old man had managed to raise himself into a sitting position and raise his axe for one last hurrah. Captain took the bull's nose, the bull took Captain's life. Never again would Storm hear Captain's jolly voice teasing her or telling her how proud he was of how far she'd come…

But there was no time to cry. Storm took Captain's sacrifice as time to get a better vantage point on the bull.

"FOR CAPTAIN!" she was almost hoarse from screaming, yet she uttered Captain one last cry before striking the bull with a sword she'd pulled off a fallen soldier. The sword went through the bull's eye into its brain. Storm felt a savage joy as the bull finally fell forever, its warm entrails running out of its eye and onto Storm's arm. She relished in the warm wetness as she went to retrieve her own sword, which was buried between two of the alien's giant ribs. She yanked it out with a savage grin before turning to her next target.

On and on the battle raged until the Noctifers could finally be counted. This sight encouraged the weary soldiers to keep on. Then, at last, after so much blood had watered the mountain ground, only a few Noctifers remained.

"Round them up!" Storm heard a voice that sounded like Northson. "We'll finish them off with one last hurrah!" she looked up to see Northson and Southlynn standing on an overhang with several large rocks behind them. It didn't take a Camp Reed soldier to understand. Storm, Oliver, Theodore, Jason, Lianna, and all the other survivors began to lead the Noctifers to the overhang where, one by one, they were crushed to death under a hail of boulders, courtesy of the Mapps. Then it was over. The battle might've lasted the whole day, but Denbar had won. Victory.

"VICTORY!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I know no one is surprised that Denbar won, but which death surprised you? (If any at all?) But now remember, the battle still isn't entirely done. We need to see where the Gifted went.


	63. Inside the Nest

Well, most of Denbar had victory. Though the main army forces were outside the lair and killing anything that dared poke its ugly evil head out of the rubble, there was an even smaller select few inside. They were the Noctifer Hybrids, having been able to use their newly acquired Noctifer powers to sneak in without trouble. They were, on Grau's order, currently fighting whatever lay inside the mountain itself. Sure, the outside was totally decimated, but it was still quite spacious inside and once the Hybrids managed to find a crawlspace inside the nest, they were met with at least 50 other angry survivors. So, there was about five Noctifers for every one Hybrid. Seemed fair enough. Nobody wasted a single second getting to work on finishing whatever was left inside the nest while the main army battled what was on the outside.

All those years of practice finally paid off as each and every Hybrid worked in perfect synchronization with themselves, each other, and the very battlefield itself. The battle was violent and terrifying, it was a sight to behold. All of Rexus' copies were out and attacking. Jalux's limbs extended and retracted rhythmically, being used both as weapons and as means of escapes, arms becoming like grappling hooks. Scarlet was busy keeping the monsters distracted with her hypnosis, even though it wasn't much. Trina was bellowing out notes that were extremely high and low, causing pain and confusion to any Noctifer in the area. Emerald was busy poisoning them from afar, expelling all kinds of disease that came into contact with the Noctifers and crushed them utterly. She looked mad with glee, having far too much fun killing everything in sight.

Wilde was perhaps the strongest of them all, though, killing Noctifers with only a few bolts each and looking like xe wasn't going to tire for at least 100 bolts more. Every second, another blinding flash of raw energy surged through the rubble and a few unlucky Noctifers would fall. Edward, with his impenetrable skin, was able to focus more on attacking than defending, ranking him as the second strongest attacker behind Wilde. No Noctifer was strong enough to damage his body. Artimanna was doing well despite the fact that there wasn't much water for her to control. She was trying to use the water that naturally existed inside Noctifers in the form of blood, and although it wasn't much, it was something and it did cause a lot of grief for the Noctifers when she dried up every last fluid inside of them. Vesper was using her light to blind and burn, having finally perfected her lazer tactic and even Iris, when she wasn't too busy with the radioactivity, used her decaying powers to rot Noctifers into an early grave. Even Kit, the team healer, was fighting, giving everyone energy boosts as needed and actually, ey had come to realize that eir Gift could be used to kill as well... If eir healing Gift could cause new cells to replace old cells, ey could just overload Noctifers on cells until they burst. In essence, ey were giving the Noctifers cancer. And of course Grau himself was hardly idle, despite how old and frail he was. But today, he was just as vivacious as the others, fighting long and hard and being generally unafraid of anything.

But like outside, soldiers inside the nest died as well. The first to go was Jalux, when xyr power failed at the wrong moment and xe was snapped up by a Noctifer, xyr long arm caught in a jaw, the rest of the body connected to that limb falling into the Noctifer's mouth as well. Even Kit wouldn't have been able to save xem. It was a gory death, made quicker only by Emerald quickly snapping xyr neck to save xem the pain of the death xe was given. Trina was second to die, eir powers finally reaching a limit and Kit not being able to heal em up in time either. Trina was killed mid-scream, throat ripped out by one particularly annoyed Noctifer. Next to go was Wilde, shocking as that was (pun possibly intended). Xe managed to take five Noctifers with xem, which would go down as the stuff of legends, but that was just it. In killing those five at once, xe pretty much overloaded xemself and even if the direct exertion didn't kill xem, the oncoming Noctifer hoard would have.

For a time, though, there were no more losses on the Hybrid side and most of the remaining Noctifers inside the nest were vanquished. But then Vesper fell. Like Trina, her powers failed at a bad time and she was slaughtered. Kit was able to heal her, but it didn't last long before she was killed again simply because she wasn't given the chance to recuperate. Then Kit emself died, finally unable to heal anyone, including emself. That increased the stakes of the final fight because it meant that if someone got hurt, there was no magical fix to it. With this heightened urgency, the remaining Hybrids fought to avenge their fallen family. Soon, there were only a few Noctifers left. Iris stopped decaying the radioactive waste long enough to wipe out three of them, then Artimanna, Emerald and Edward took down two. Grau slew a few as well. Then it seemed like it was over.

Until one last giant one took a snap at Emerald. Emerald screamed as she was dragged back right into the Noctifer's stomach. But Grau wasn't going to give up yet. Instead, with the strength and speed of someone nearly 200 years younger, he ran right after Emerald and, with one hand, tried to grab her hand before she could totally vanish down the Noctifer's massive maw. With his other hand, Grau tried to pierce the Noctifer's eye and go straight to the brain. This latter tactic worked, but the former did not and Emerald was still lost to the Noctifer and because Grau was rushing right at the Noctifer, he essentially placed himself in the same position Emerald had been in. As a result, he suffered the same fate, dying seconds before the Noctifer did, copious amount of blood squirting from the eye that Grau had stabbed. Maybe his blade hadn't quite hit the brain, but it had still pierced the eye. Now Denbar's victory had truly been completed, every last Noctifer dead and gone, though the loss of Denbarian life was staggering as well…

The battle outside finished just before the battle inside the nest did, but the soldiers didn't start finding ways inside until after the battle inside the nest was over too. They all came pouring inside just a few minutes after Grau and the Noctifer trying to eat him had both breathed their last. Horrified gasps echoed as the few brave soldiers who wormed their way inside the nest took a good look at the blood and corpse spattered interior of the mountain. Parts of humans mixed with parts of Noctifers in a sea of dark, hot blood. None of the hybrids minded at all, going into something like a coma now that their alpha was gone. Until they found a new person to attach to, as far as they were concerned, they were nothing but empty vessels awaiting a command. Until they had a new alpha, they were about as intelligent, active and driven as vegetables.

The human soldiers, with their intelligences still very much intact, continued to crawl inside the nest, one after the other as they explored around. But Grau and his team had done too good a job already and there was nothing left to hunt. It really was all over. Awhile later, the surviving soldiers gathered their wits and made a plan. Some were sent back out to rescue comrades while others remained inside to look after the Hybrids.

"Iris, oh, Iris!" Storm threw her arms around the mutated girl. She was supposed to be going back to rescue other comrades, but she wasn't going to leave yet. Not when Iris was here, even though she wasn't responding at all. Onlookers cringed, expecting Iris to attack suddenly like on the night Storm tried to attack Grau, but she didn't. She just sat there. They all did. Seeing this encouraged the other soldiers to move forward. One by one, the soldiers dared to mingle with the unresponsive Hybrids while Storm continued to cling to the one she used to call a lover.

"Hey!" a voice cried suddenly. It was Theodore. The others turned to him nervously and saw him pull a body from the jaws of one particularly large Noctifer. It was Grau. Once again, he had suffered Emerald's same fate, slipping into the Noctifer's unnaturally large mouth, but because he had managed to stab the Noctifer's eye before going, the Noctifer had not finished swallowing. The lower half of Grau had still been in the Noctifer's mouth and it had only been the top half that had made any progress into the throat. Theodore had not known it was Grau initially, but had hoped that whoever it was could've been saved because only half of the body was inside the Noctifer's mouth. When Theodore removed the body's HAZMAT helmet, however, it became apparent at once who it was and what their current condition was.

"Grau!" someone nearby murmured, then they ran over to Theodore to get a closer look of Grau's finally-exposed face. Theodore had since dropped Grau's helmet out of pure shock as he too studied his leader's long-hidden face.

The face was not pretty. Not even close. His skin was white as snow, the only color coming from purple veins that stuck out everywhere. His face was shriveled and wrinkled. Maybe he had some form of immortality, but it certainly hadn't kept him from aging. He looked like a skeleton, he was so pale and thin. The only other color in him besides his dark veins were his now-dark red eyes, glossed over in death. The burning light within them would never shine again and now all that remained was a color that looked like dried blood, so dark it was almost brown.

The soldiers looked at Grau's body in disgust. It was odd too, to see such a powerful man look so small, frail and human. Some had been moderately convinced that Grau was only a robe and no body lay inside. This feeble, pathetic corpse disproved that theory, but it was almost more disturbing to see a body than if there really had only ever been a robe or a suit of armor. To put a face to a name was so surreal.

No one knew what to do with Grau's little old ugly body, stiffening and cooling as the time went on. At last, though, Northson tossed Grau's corpse back inside the Noctifer Nest. It was not out of cruelty, it was just that there was no time for proper funerals. Besides, Northson had the feeling Grau would've wanted to die in the home of his enemy as a final brag against them all that he had conquered them so entirely. So he returned Grau to his proper grave and whispered one last little eulogy to the man who had delivered the final killing blow of the war. Anyone within the vicinity agreed with Northson's actions and final words, all bowing their heads somberly. The war was over and won, but now there was a lot of aftermath to deal with. No one wanted to, but it was the next step forward. Once again, the Denbarian soldiers were thrust into a world of discomfort as people began coming and going from inside the Noctifer Nest, looking for their dead and trying to find the survivors amongst them. Victory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So again, you probably aren't surprised that Denbar won, but hey, did any of these deaths surprise anyone? And how about Grau? How does it feel to finally be able to see his face? This story is nearly over, but now we've got to suffer with the soldiers and help them in dealing with the aftermath.


	64. Survivors

After Grau's mini funeral, the soldiers returned to their duties, tending to themselves and each other as they readied to go home. With the war over, all that was left to do was to return, but a journey like that was going to be hard with so many wounded people to look after. It took nearly the whole day for everyone to find each other and then it took a lot longer to try and work out a way to get home. In the end, though, some of the healthier soldiers had run back and gotten help from the survivors back at Camp Steuben and then they had a large cart sent back out to help carry everyone back home. The cart was pulled by the motor bikes soldiers once used to ride up to the Noctifer Nest. They wouldn't be needed anymore after today. It was a bittersweet realization.

The rest of that particular day was spent doing a final clean-sweep on the area before loading everyone up onto the cart to go home.

"Storm. We need to go," Gale whispered finally. Storm hadn't stopped cradling Iris in all the time it took for these events to transpire. Iris hadn't moved at all in any of that time either. Gale watched Storm hugging Iris with a broken heart. He was sure that Iris would've made a livelier corpse than whatever it was she was right then.

Storm finally acknowledged him, turning her head up to look at him. Her blue eyes were dull. She had heard his voice, but had no clue what he had said. Part of the reason for her grief was because, moments before finding Iris like this, Storm had run into Tempest's severed head. A few pieces of her spine had trailed out from that severed head and there were huge teeth marks in the woman's forehead. It didn't take a genius to imagine how Tempest met her bitter fate. Gale had seen the head too, Storm could tell from the raw agony in his voice. He must've been in so much more pain than she was. After all, Iris was still alive while Tempest was dead and, Tempest had been Gale's wife for about a decade. Storm's heart ached for Gale. They were both survivors, but they felt very dead inside.

"Come on Storm," Gale repeated gently. "We're taking them home. Maybe we can save them," he went on. These words were risky to promise, but they encouraged Storm to get up finally. She carried Iris bridal style, refusing to let anybody else touch the girl or try and take her away. She spent the whole cart ride home with Iris curled in her arms. Those purple eyes stared listlessly at the sky and didn't blink once. Storm had never felt so lost and afraid in her life as she caressed Iris' cold and unmoving cheek gently.

I've already lost Tempest. I can't lose you too. Please don't be dead. Don't leave me… Storm didn't think she would survive if Iris did not.

Once the survivors reached Camp Steuben, it was about midnight and an even smaller party met them there. That smaller party was the group that had been assigned to stay behind and act as a very last line of defense for the army. Among the group was Dr. Lisa Lockewood. Naturally, she made a big show as she welcomed her son and daughter back. Oh, Lianna hadn't married Jason yet, but they were so close that Dr. Longwood considered her a daughter. She was very loud and dramatic as she greeted them both.

"My babies!" she cried, taking both of them in her arms. Normally, Jason would've protested such embarrassing treatment, but he was just as glad to see her as she was to see him. That last battle had been really scary and, in all honesty, Jason wanted nothing more than to vanish into his mother's embrace forever. He let her hug him as tightly as she could, sobbing softly into her arms in relief and grief while Lianna only held onto him for dear life. Everyone else watched with a bittersweet smile. This reunion was exactly what the war had been all about. This reunion was the ultimate victory, the last hope of every soldier in Denbar. This reunion was exactly what everyone had been fighting for all along.

Sadly, that was where it ended. Storm took Iris straight to her parents only to find out that Lester was dead. Apparently, a few Noctifers had indeed coming running here after the bomb was dropped. They knew that since a bulk of the army was by the Nest, the rest of the country would be relatively unguarded and they wasted no time in running down to invade it. Of course, they hadn't expected to see the little party waiting for them at Camp Steuben, but it was still a hard fight because the numbers were pretty balanced. Westford, pacifist though he was, led the charge against the invaders until none were left alive. Sadly, sacrifices had to be made. Lester was one of them. Mae was alive, but when she saw Iris, Storm knew she would've been better off dead. What's more, when Storm told Mae about Rusty, she went mad with grief and had to be sedated.

More sedations were brought in from Labelle over the next few days along with several other doctors. Soldiers were then properly cared for and those who were in desperate need of medical attention were flow right into Labelle hospitals. But the doctors sent to Camp Steuben hadn't just been sent to diagnose and send soldiers off. Actually, for the soldiers that were either too injured to be moved safely or were strong enough to survive without a full equipped hospital, the doctors were going to serve them right then and there in Camp Steuben. Every little last building became a makeshift hospital with all kinds of Denbarian doctors from across the country zooming from building to building, helping anyone inside. Despite this healing progress, though, there was one issue that set all the survivors on edge. That issue was what to do with the Noctifer Hybrids. Loyalties and opinions were divided. Some surviving soldiers wanted to see if they could also help the hybrids while others wanted them put down, cruel as that sounded. One man in particular pushed for euthanizing the hybrids and he even almost got Iris.

"No! Don't touch her!" Storm spat, shoving him away as he approached Iris with a needle.

"Please," the man soothed. "Put her out of her misery. All she can do now is stare into space. She has a pulse, but she is not alive. Consider this a mercy kill," the man continued to request to put Iris down. Storm, however, continued to refuse. Although she knew what the man was saying was true, she still hated to hear it and she had already sworn on her life that she wasn't going to let anything else harm Iris. Doctors included.

"I don't care," Storm insisted, pushing the man away again. "She's mine! You stay away from her…" the blond then lowered herself protectively over the tiny brunette, shielding the girl with her own body and silently daring the doctor to try again.

Such debate carried on beyond Storm and this one man, however, and soon, it seemed like another battle was going to occur. But then someone surprising spoke up. It was Lianna Spyre.

"Maybe Storm's right," she said slowly when that same doctor tried yet again to get Storm to reconsider euthanizing the Hybrids. Storm turned to Lianna warily, wondering what this annoying girl was up to next. Lianna, however, had only pure intentions. She really wanted to help Iris, having grown fond of her in their short time together. What's more, she was really trying to make amends with Storm. The war was over, there should be no more fighting. Especially not amongst the survivors.

"Maybe there is hope," Lianna repeated, stepping between the doctor and Iris in a clear display of protectiveness. "Maybe we just haven't found a cure yet. I mean, somebody was able to make them like this. Who says we can't undo it?" Lianna finished her short speech with a shy smile. The doctor paused, seriously considering her words. Behind them both, Storm was smiling thankfully up at Lianna. At one point, Lianna caught a glance of Storm's smile and she returned the gesture, glad to know that the stoic blond was willing to put their bad blood away. "Besides, don't we owe it to them to try and help? They've done a lot for us, if you think about it, and they never asked to be like this anyway. Although you're right that euthanizing would be a mercy kill, we shouldn't be so quick to resort to it. Instead, let's just keep them alive a little bit longer until we can gather our wits and make a proper decision as to whether or not this process is reversible. None of us are in any state of mind to make a correct and informed decision right now, so let's just get rid of the needles..." Lianna approached the doctor and while he still seemed quite firm in his belief that a mercy kill was the best option for the comatose Hybrids, he didn't resist at all when Lianna plucked the needle from his hands.

"And don't you ever try anything like that ever again!" Storm snarled up at him once Lianna had gone, heading around the rest of Camp Steuben to pass on the message than an informal decision to call a hiatus had been created. The mighty warrior was still wrapped protectively around her little mouse of a girlfriend. The doctor raised his hands innocently and stepped back, not wanting to anger Denbar's fiercest soldier.

"But where do we begin?" somebody asked later, after the last needle had been confiscated and stored away somewhere safe and secret. It was Oliver. She was missing her blue eye, limping badly and was covered in all kinds of scars, but that helpful air was still in her. She limped over to Lianna, having heard about the euthanizing debate. She looked expectantly at the taller, less-injured girl, clearly on her side.

"We'll search Grau's private chambers for plans," Lianna replied with a shrug, trying to mask her chaotic thoughts under a relaxed gesture.

Slowly, then, others came to her aid. There were more in favor of the Hybrids getting to live than expected, they just needed a leader to rally behind. And that was Lianna. So while she led everyone in Grau's office, Storm stayed behind with Iris. She watched Lianna go gratefully, promising not to goad the girl into as many arguments anymore.

"Don't worry," she murmured into her lover's hair. "We are survivors and you will be too. Trust us," then she kissed the girl when nobody was looking. It broke her heart that she received no reaction at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I confess that the idea to put the Hybrids down seems a bit extreme, violent and sudden, especially from a Denbarian, but this issue really is one that needs to be resolved. Let's see if Lianna and friends find anything in Grau's lair that could tell them how to reverse this process...


	65. Missing Mapp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: One of the characters displays abusive behaviors in this chapter, though he as a character is not meant to be abusive. If you are in a relationship and the other person/people act like this character all the time, here's the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.

A few hours later, it was Westford who finally found something.

"I think I got them!" he cried, rousing the camp. Sparks returned to soldiers' eyes as they ran to the man with a forest worth of paper in his arms.

"What do they say? Can we fix it? Oh, how? How?!" they swarmed the boy until Northson shoved them all away.

"Give him room!" the man ordered sharply. His wife pressed forward too, pulling Westford in close away from the mob.

Westford might've bravely led the charge against the Noctifer invaders alone, but that didn't automatically make him someone who was good at handling a mob. He was still very shy and awkward and needed lots of help when it came to avoiding crowds or surviving public encounters, like now. Hero or not. But that was why his parents were coming to his rescue now, Northson physically shoving anyone who came too close to his son while Southlynn tried to soothe the boy in case he was to suffer a panic or anxiety attack due to all the noise, motion and chaos of suddenly being swarmed by an eager mob of soldiers and doctors alike.

Sadly, the fuss over the papers died when it was realized that the papers Westford were only documentation on the already-existing hybrids. It was just basic info about them, like name and age and ability. It wasn't about how they were made, just what they were. It appeared that when Grau died, the ability to do and undo this process had followed him to the grave.

"We've got to do something!" Lianna pounded her fist on a table. "I'll fund the research myself if the rest of you are only interested in rebuilding war camps that probably won't be in use unless we get attacked again, in which case, we're screwed anyway!"

"And how are you going to fund anything, little girl?" a snobby voice asked. It was Maxim. Even after going through war and losing his husband, he was still as nasty as ever. "At the very least, you need Labelle funding and they don't just give out that kind of cash to kids!" he growled.

"Maybe not," Lianna agreed. "But they will give it to a Mapp!"

"And what makes you think they will bend to you?" Maxim sneered again.

"They have to!" Lianna answered, her passionate voice suddenly calm. "Because I, too, am a Mapp. I am Eastla and I am the heir to Camp Reed."

In just one sentence, the whole army went through another little uproar. Realizing that the philosophical and passionate Lianna Spyre was actually the misfit, rebellious Eastla Mapp, the missing Mapp, was something of a revelation, but Lianna was able to legitimize her claim through a quick DNA test and answering questions that only Eastla would've known the answer to. At last, it finally reached a point where no one was questioning Lianna anymore. They were just all in shock now. Or at least, almost no one was questioning her. There was still Northson, and he was furious! He wasn't just questioning Lianna/Eastla, he was interrogating her!

"You've got a lot of nerve, girl. Coming back here after so long and demanding help!" he growled. He seemed more angry than astounded by this revelation that Lianna Spyre was his runaway daughter.

"Northson, dear-" Southlynn tried to calm her spouse. For once, it didn't work.

"Did you know about this?" Northson whipped around, snarling at her, eyes narrowing as he realized how calm she seemed by Eastla's return.

"Yes," she confessed. "But I didn't tell you because she asked me not too because we knew you'd force her home if you knew where she was!"

"Of course I would! Because she is a Mapp! She belongs to me!" Northson thundered. He and his wife were suddenly locked in a fierce argument over who was more in the wrong. Was it Southlynn for knowingly and willingly withholding information about Eastla from Northson? Or was it Northson for driving Eastla and Southlynn both into doing these things at all?

"You're darn right I would've brought her home!" Northson continued.

"But I didn't want you to!" Southlynn argued. "You would've made us all miserable! Eastla was so much freer, happier, when she was gone! When you weren't there to try and tell her how to live every little last aspect of her life."

"It's called discipline, Southlynn. And she is still legally my daughter! She has an obligation to obey me! She can't get everything she wants in life! Sometimes, she just as to suck it up and be miserable!"

"Gee. So glad my opinion is so highly valued right now," Lianna/Eastla whispered under her breath as she watched her parents continue their shouting match. These kind of fights happened all the time before, it was why she'd run away in the first place! Seriously! Why was Northson so bent on keeping her close if it just made everyone miserable? Southlynn had been correct when she said that Eastla had been much happier once she finally escaped Northson's cruel and controlling grasp. Why was Northson so bent upon keeping her when they didn't even get along?

"You shouldn't have kept her a secret from me!" Northson snapped at Southlynn, towering over her.

"She was doing much better without you!" Southlynn defended, unafraid of Northson.

"And how was I supposed to know? You kept her from me!" Northson repeated. "Besides, as I have said time and time again, discipline is the true key to raising good children! You shouldn't have kept her from me because she did and always will have an obligation to heed her father!"

"No she doesn't!" a new voice finally dared to challenge Northson, and it was probably the least expected voice of all: Northson. "Eastla is her own person! She may be your daughter, but she is not your slave or your second life! She was, is and always will be her own person and she deserves her own rights, freedoms and choices, even if they displease you! You can't keep forcing her to fit your desires because it's unfair! You need to leave her alone! I don't want you making her miserable anymore. You don't own her!"

Westford finished his little speech, chest heaving and legs shaking violently. For a moment, no one said a word or even moved, but then Northson suddenly turned on his son, eyes cold and hard as ice and twice as deadly.

"You too, my son? You have betrayed me too?" he demanded softly, angrily.

"N-n-no?" Westford's bravado had gone at once, replaced with a stutter and a sudden inability to look Northson in the eye.

"And did you know? Did you know about this Lianna/Eastla charade?" Northson demanded again, taking a step closer to the cowering young man.

"Yes," Westford gasped out the answer, unable to speak up but unwilling to lie.

"What a disgrace," Northson snarled. "My own son, my beloved and most trusted son, betraying me along with my lying wife and treacherous, ungrateful brat of a daughter..." his voice never raised in volume, but the venom grew exponentially with every word he spat out. "I can't believe it, my whole family, turned against me, working behind my back, betraying me!" he snarled lowly.

"Ok. Enough, Dad. Shut up!" Eastla sighed in frustration. "Don't be such a drama-"

"No. Shut up, you! You have no right!" Northson suddenly snapped up, finally yelling a little. He straightened his back and pointed an accusing finger in Eastla's face, but she was just as stubborn as he and Southlynn. She shut up, but her icy gaze said it all. Her eyes were back to their natural brown now that she'd removed the contacts that made them green, and her hair had gone back to its natural brown as well, now that she'd removed her blond wig. She continued to stare her father down angrily, arms crossed and posture firm. She was not afraid of him, not even a little.

"I just can't believe it. That all of you would turn on me?" Northson went back to scowling at his wife and son, but neither apologized.

"I knew Eastla was Lianna," Westford managed to mumble. "But I was never ever going to tell you, no matter how much of a beloved son I was to you, because I am a beloved brother as well, and I would never put her in harm's way. And you count! Maybe you never physically harmed her, but you hurt her feelings all the time. It goes beyond discipline, Dad, and I wasn't going to let you crush her dreams anymore. I knew Lianna was Eastla, but I wasn't going to ever tell you!" it was the bravest thing he'd ever said and it rocked Northson to his core. Never did he think that he'd live to see the day where his doormat of a son would defy him so boldly and publicly!

"Fine," Northson snarled at last. "So be it then. Do what you want. I don't care. This country has gone to ruins anyway!"

"Thanks Dad," Eastla answered sarcastically. "You're so inspirational!"

"But if it fails, that's it. I'm not funding it and you're out. Deal?" Northson asked his daughter and missing Mapp. His eyes were full of anger.

"Deal," Eastla echoed with matching coldness. Like father, like daughter. It was an awkward and bitter reunion.

"Good, then," Northson nodded tightly, then he cast his entire family one last hateful glare before slinking away.

The moment he was gone, everyone in the area released a breath of relief. Northson could be really scary when he wanted.

"I'll go talk to him," Southlynn whispered in Eastla's ear, rubbing her back. "I mean, I know he seems mad now, but he was just concerned…"

"I know, Ma," Eastla sighed, just trying to appease her mother. She didn't give a darn what Northson thought of her. But she knew Southlynn wanted to the family to return to its normal unity, so she was willing to play along and act as though a simple talk from Southlynn could change a heart as cold and empty as Northson's. Maybe this was cruel of Eastla, but it wasn't easy to love somebody so harsh as her father. Southlynn, however, was relieved that Eastla was at least implying that she would consider making amends with Northson. It really would make her glad to see the family whole again, no matter how stubborn her husband and daughter were about each other.

"By the way, I'm proud of you," Southlynn added with a real smile. "You've done so much good and it's so wonderful to see you again."

"Agreed!" Westford added, genuinely happy to have Eastla home again too. It had been just as hard on him to keep Eastla a secret and only be able to call her Lianna and then have to pretend to be a friend and not a little brother. Now, Eastla was back and here to stay, no more pretending or hiding. He could be her baby brother again! It was a role he never thought he'd miss...

"Thanks, guys," Eastla sighed in relief, glad to know at least one parent was on her side. Southlynn kissed her before following after Northson with a tired smile. She knew deep down that he did want to be a good father, he was just really, really, really bad at expressing his feelings. But she was working on him, and with time and love, anything was possible. After all, they had a very long marriage and two wonderful kids to show for it. Northson just needed someone like Southlynn to talk him down sometimes. He was very lucky to have her and he knew it well. So she would go off and talk to him, calm him down, and with any luck, he'd come back around. She knew he hadn't meant most of the things he'd said anyway. Or at least, he hadn't meant them so vehemently. Southlynn hadn't taken any of his insults personally because she knew what a good man lay underneath the very, very rough exterior. He'd see how good his daughter really was and he would help them save the Hyrbids. Southlynn had faith in herself and him to get this right eventually. It was just going to take patience. Luckily, Southlynn had an endless flow of that, more than enough to get through to Northson.

"So, what plans do you have, Sis?" Westford asked his big sister once their parents had left. It felt good to call her Eastla instead of Lianna. He had missed her. The other soldiers turned to the missing Mapp too, awaiting her orders. Although they were still reeling from the big reveal that Lianna was Eastla, they were so impressed by her raw nerve that they were all willing to do just about anything she said right then and there. Jason, meanwhile, was trying to absorb the fact that his girlfriend was the missing Mapp. His mouth opened and shut, but nothing came out. She was even more impressive and strong than he'd thought. He knew that he probably would've crumbled under Northson's gaze, but no, not Eastla. She had stood proud and tall. Jason fell even deeper in love with her at that moment, but then blanched at the thought of Northson being his father in law... Well, that would be a matter for another time. For now?

"No idea," Eastla answered. She turned to the listening crowd. "But I guess I'll start with DNA tests and see what the discrepancy is…" she trailed off. "I'll try to find what changed in their DNA from before this time until now. There has to be some way to save them, to undo whatever Grau did. There has to be a cure. It can't end like this."

"It can't," Westford agreed sadly. He had been fond of Iris and Rexus both and would do anything to save them.

"Well then, where do we begin, New Boss?" Eastla turned to see Oliver limping at her, remaining green eye shining in fierce determination.

"Well, we need to return to the Camp Reed labs," Eastla said slowly. "Then, we test. Let's get our DNA samples and then we can go!" she said. The others obeyed, hearts still aching for the empty-eyed creatures that they had once called friends as they got down to business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So yeah, that little plot point about their being a Missing Mapp actually came into play! Just wanted to toss y'all one last little twist, though this wasn't too relevant to the plot. 
> 
> But QUICK DISCLAIMER! Northson is not supposed to be abusive. He has emotional issues, but he is NOT abusive. It's just this one chapter in which he does abusive things, though that is not normal for him. As cold and callous as he acts, this is an unusual amount of anger for him. But I will agree that everything he does in this chapter is abusive:
> 
> He threatens, guilts, name-calls, yells, threatens through posture, plays the victim card, insists that he owns a family member and must bring her back when she leaves him. So yes, Northson is highly abusive in this chapter, but his overall character is not meant to be this way. But to anyone who has a relative/friend/significant other who acts like Northson does in this chapter all the time, that may be an indicator of an abusive/toxic relationship. 
> 
> ***Here's the national hotline for those trapped in abusive, domestic relationships: 1-800-799-7233


	66. Repair Work

Sadly, it seemed that a cure was impossible to find. After a full year of hard work, nothing came of it at all. After 365 days of nothing but tests and theories, nothing positive had ever come through. Even Eastla, the starter of the tests, was losing faith. She was the last to quit of the team of researchers working on a cure. Westford quit a month ago and Oliver a week ago.

"I'm sorry Eastla," Oliver whispered. Her heterochromia eyes (this blue eye was fake) met Eastla's eyes, which were dimmed with pain. Eastla only bowed her head. Oliver understood the gesture and walked off, hanging up her lab coat for the last time while her friend continued to mix flasks and vials together in a last-ditch effort to find a cure.

Eastla admitted defeat a week after. The one bit of solace Eastla had during the whole event of quitting came in the form of her father, oddly enough. The two still had a lot of repair work to do on their relationship, but Northson was at least ready to admit that Eastla had done an impressive job. Sure, she got zero results, but her intelligence and determination were nothing to laugh at. He could see that now. Mad as he was at her for running off and then coming back with crazy demands and ideas, he still gave credit where it was due and Eastla had certainly earned it this entire year. He'd never seen anyone work so hard before. She reminded him of himself.

"You may have failed the cure, but you certainly haven't failed me," he whispered awkwardly. It was clear that these words were really hard for him to say. Eastla could understand, though, mentally cringing as he said these things to her. It felt so odd to be treated so well by the very man who ran her away from this place in the first place. In short, it was a mutually awkward moment.

"Thanks," she tried to smile, but it came off more as a grimace.

"Your year-long war with this cause has proven your wit, heart and bravery. I'm proud of you," he finished, then he patted her awkwardly.

"Thanks," Eastla repeated as he touched her head. In the distance, Southlynn and Westford watched with genuine smiles. Sure, Northson and Eastla still had a very long way to go, but it was still progress, no matter how slow.

Besides the failed cure, though, Camp Reed was doing well in its repair work. The Mapps had some of the best architects around and their advanced tech helped them rebuild even faster than a normal camp. It was also a huge help that, with the war over, they could turn all their funding to repair work instead of bomb work. The Pit was officially shut down and everything inside of it was scrapped, to Chief's everlasting relief. The Pit was filled until the mountain was one solid network again, save for a couple hundred feet that comprised of where the Cave Dwellers lived.

The only setback that occurred in Camp Reed's repair work came from Danielle Boemker. During the year-long test with the Noctifers, several government officials had come in and Danielle ended up getting caught by one of them. Of course, the government had a fit over an underage child working in the army and Danielle was sent home at once. By then, however, she was more than happy to leave. The war had taken a huge toll on her and she wanted nothing more than to go back to the place she'd left behind years ago… (Though there was one small thing she was taking home with her, and that was a piece of the plane the bomb was dropped from. She had been flying the thing).

But aside from Danielle's departure, Camp Reed was cleaning up nicely and the camp did figure out how to train Rexus into helping and acting mostly civilized. By rewiring Southlynn to be his new alpha, she was able to get him to act in a way similar to how he used to behave. He was no longer listless or lifeless once he began to see Southlynn as a new alpha and he became able to interact with other people again. It was a small victory in the eyes of Camp Reed. He was still very much not-human, but at least he could interact with humans again. It was a start.

Camp Greene was also doing well. Their repair work took longer because they had less tech, but morale was higher there. Tanya, Angelina and Barry, who had all survived the last battle, were able to keep the Camp Greene soldiers enthused. In addition, since Camp Greene was the physically strongest camp, building wasn't too much of a challenge. Their only problem was that they had no Gifted of their own, both of theirs dying in the last battle. Funerals were held for them both and many tears were shed over the loss of Kit and Wilde.

Sadly, Camp Heath and Camp Steuben weren't doing as well. Camp Steuben still had lots of repair work, being the camp that saw the most battle. In addition, on a mental level, they were still coping with what their last leader had done. Even if it was all for a good cause and with the best intentions, it had been a terrible and twisted thing to do and it was going to take a lot of acceptance to get over Grau's trickery.

But in his place came a new and unlikely leader, Theodore. He had been voted upon simply because, although he didn't know too much about being a leader, he was closer to the Gifted than anyone else in Camp Steuben by proxy of his romance with Scarlet. In addition, Scarlet had been Grau's proper deputy. She was just unfit to lead, being a senseless Hybrid who literally needed an alpha to tell her what to do as was written in her gene code. The rest of camp just assumed that, if she had been fit to lead, Theodore would've been her chosen second.

Sure, some did try and challenge Theodore's role, but he dispatched of them all very easily. On one level, he was physically intimidating. No one wanted to mess with him. On another, he was the sweetest man one would ever meet. Like Scarlet, all it took was one meeting before any ideas of rebellion were changed. In addition, nobody wanted anymore fighting anyway. And for the few who did, there simply weren't enough of them to do it. There literally weren't enough soldiers to pull off a rebellion right then, so Theodore was left alone.

Besides, he really wasn't half bad for a leader, especially considering he didn't have that much practice with it. Perhaps he was a tad daft and not at all as authoritative as Grau, but he was likeable and he was keeping the camp afloat. Besides, his friendliness was just what the dark, foreboding camp needed at the time, especially after so long under Grau's gloomy thumb. That wasn't to say Grau was a bad or cruel leader, it was just that his soldiers were looking for rays of light in their dark world and Theodore was somehow acting as just that. His determination to do his camp proud and to bring honor back to the Steuben name was exactly what they all needed. And Theodore was nobody's fool. He could figure most things out, if just given a bit of time. He may not have been educated in leadership, but he still knew how to lead.

In addition, two young girls, twins, helped him lead Camp Steuben. They had only joined the army less than a year before the last battle took place, but they were already quite renowned for their skill in combat and their natural leadership skills. Everyone either respected or admired them and were willing to listen to them if they didn't listen to Theodore. So those two girls became some of his biggest allies, not only helping him actually run the camp, but also preventing any discontent regarding Theodore's rise to power. The girls knew exactly what to say and do to control the masses and they were a force to be reckoned with. Theodore was eternally grateful that they were on his side.

And as for Camp Heath? Well, they were doing fine in terms of repair work, but not in terms of coping. Nobody had fallen to pieces or lost their minds, but the grief was a heavy burden for them all. Mae was suffering from depression after losing her husband and best friend and, in some way, her daughter. Not a day passed that Mae didn't spend at least an hour or two with whatever it was that Iris had left behind. Not a day passed that Mae didn't regret losing Iris and want her back more than anything in the whole world. Not a day passed that Mae didn't mourn. But through all of her guilt and grief for the husk of a girl Iris had become, Mae managed to keep her head high and she finally, finally befriended Storm. As terrible as war was, it could bring about the best of changes and the truest of friends. This was the case with Storm and Mae, the two finally putting all bad blood behind them in the names of Lester, Rusty and Iris.

"She spoke so fondly of you," Mae told the taller, lither blond one evening. "She really loved you…" normally, Storm would've been disgusted by such sappiness, but now, she welcomed it. She had come to see Iris' parents in a new way, even though Lester was no longer with them. So sure, they had both been old hat and a bit naive, but even Storm had a heart to pity a parent mourning a child and she finally understood just how much Mae loved her daughter. Thus, a bond grew between the three and Storm became an honorary Long, finally feeling like Mae could've been her mother too. Then, to continue the grief, a funeral for the jolly old Captain, Tempest, Lester and Rusty, among others, was held.

But some goodness did happen. Jason and Eastla got married and moved fulltime to Camp Reed. Northson welcomed them both with open arms, to the shock of all. Next, a double ceremony for new leader and deputy was held with Storm and Gale taking over. Maxim, in his grief for Captain, found himself unable to go on living at Camp Heath without his large and jolly husband at his side. For that, he resigned and moved back to Denbar, leaving everything in Storm's hands. It was another example of a shocking turn of events as foes made peace.

"Good luck," was all he said the day Storm took over, but it was sincere and Storm had the grace to take it with another two-word reply.

"Thank you," and the two of them never spoke again, not that either of them minded this that much.

So Maxim was gone just like Eastla and Jason and now Storm and Gale were in charge, continuing to help with the repair work while also looking after Iris with Dr. Lockewood and Mae. Iris had finally been taught to accept Storm as her alpha and although this did put some spring back into the purple-eyed soldier's step, it still left her very much a hollow shell of what she used to be. She heeded basic commands and was able to communicate with everyone she came into contact with, but it was clear that she still wasn't totally the Iris she used to be.

This agonized Storm, Mae and Iris' other close friends, but in the end, they were just relieved that Iris had survived the last battle at all. Storm underwent the largest change of anyone else in regard to Iris, going from a very selfish and stoic soldier to a woman who felt and loved. She cared for Iris the most diligently, helping the girl grow into her new life despite how much this new life hurt Storm. She never left Iris' side once and treated her very well, even though it could no longer be in a truly romantic way as Iris was not designed to feel romantically while in Noctifer mode. But even so, Storm found a way to love Iris with all her heart and it was truly beautiful to see, especially given how Storm used to be before Iris. Iris really had been something special…

"Hey Gale," Storm greeted her deputy one warm spring day, just over a year after the war had ended.

"Hi Storm," Gale replied, walking over to his oldest friend with a sad smile of affection.

"How have you been today? How's the repair work?" Storm wasn't usually one for idle chatter, but she needed it to distract herself from Iris and the worry she'd come to associate with the tiny hybrid.

"I've organized a party to scout our borders and recheck out buildings," he said. "If nothing goes wrong, I'll bring them home," Storm nodded in satisfaction. Running a war camp was hard, but Gale made it easy for her. She wished her voice of reason, Tempest, could be here too, but she knew that she and Gale were doing well without her, even if they missed her dearly. Gale wore Tempest's ring now, over his own. As sick as it sounded, somebody had been able to scavenge it off Tempest's severed arm and Gale ended up keeping it, despite the grossness of it all.

"What are you going to do today?" Gale asked next, sensing that she had only started talking to him for the sake of a distraction. Storm's smile faded away and Gale instantly regretted asking.

"I'm thinking about sending Iris back to Labelle," the blond confessed softly. Gale's black eyes widened so Storm explained. During the year Eastla had been trying to find a cure for the hybrids, political tension had risen both in the war camps and Denbar. Sides were taken as the fate of the hybrids became a hotly debated topic. After Eastla threw in the towel, however, the fight got even worse until something had to happen to appease the masses. Finally, though, someone came up with an answer.

An asylum was built in Labelle where the Hybrids could live the rest of their days in peace. It sounded like the best option, even if it meant Storm couldn't see Iris anymore. Besides, it would also mean that Camp Heath got to see more of their leader because Storm wouldn't always be with Iris. As much as Storm hated to say it, Iris was a conflict of interest and law said that the camp was always first. Besides, over the past year, debates on whether or not Iris was safe had ripped through camp and now, even those who used to support Iris, admitted that they wanted the girl sent to this control center. It would be easier on everyone, Iris included. And it was a unanimous vote, so Storm had to obey their wishes like any good leader would. That was what Storm had been hoping for a distraction from, sending Iris away.

Gale felt bad for reopening those wounds in Storm so he nodded obediently, stepping politely away as a signal that he was going to go. Storm hated to see him leave, but she knew she'd made him uncomfortable so she let him go without protest. A week later, Storm left him in charge of camp as she took Iris to her new home. Mae had said her farewells early, knowing that this delivery was something Storm needed to do alone. The ride to Labelle had never seemed longer. Iris fell asleep on Storm's lap like a dog and it was both beautiful and painful. Storm dreaded every step she took towards the new asylum once the subway arrived at Labelle.

"Goodbye, Iris," the blond whispered, trying not to cry as a sympathetic Labelle doctor took the purple-eyed girl away. Storm fought the urge to run after her. Instead, she watched until Iris was out of sight, then she made the trip home. For the first time in over a decade, she cried.

"Goodbye, Iris," she repeated through her tears. What hurt most of all was that Iris hadn't looked back even once before being taken away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry if this was sad. Also, as a continuation off of last chapter, this was what I meant when I said that Northson wasn't supposed to be abusive. He does try to get better because he knows he's got issues. An abusive person wouldn't, because they wouldn't see themselves as needing improvement. (I know that's a very black and white way to describe an abusive individual and is only one facet of what being abusive really is, but I don't want to get into every little last nuance in an author's note).


	67. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Content Warning: Non-graphic suicide attempt. The attempt is described enough for people to understand what it is, but it is described loosely to avoid any graphic or truly dark details. Skip this chapter if it may upset you, I will describe what happens in the AN in the next chapter.
> 
> National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

Over the next three months, after Storm gave Iris up, repair work continued until only Camp Steuben needed any help at all.

"I'll bet we'll be in perfect shape before the season's out!" Theodore bragged as his men carried iron and bricks everywhere, rebuilding old buildings with terrifying effectiveness. It sounded like Theodore was closing a lot of the underground bunkers down. In his mind, underground bunkers signified deceit. He didn't like that. So they were closed up. In addition, they weren't safe. It wasn't right to keep a human underground unless necessary and the way he saw it, there should've been a lot more regulations than what Grau ever had. For that, it was just easier to close the bunkers entirely and keep with surface-world building. So that's what they did.

Storm looked around the restored camp, impressed. It looked really nice now. But then she realized something. Scarlet was no longer here. So Theodore had also sent his hybrid soldier to Labelle too… He didn't seem as sad though. But Storm figured that he was just trying to stay positive. In their year working together as new leaders of their respective camps, Storm had come to see that Theodore knew how to act. As teddy-bear like as he was, he was capable of great anger and great sadness and he knew how to hide them under that teddy-bear persona.

"I'm sure Scarlet is happy and being cared for like she deserves!" he said. "And I bet Dolly, uhhh, Iris, is keeping excellent company!" he declared, but Storm could sense that his Captain-like grin was a little more than forced. Scarlet, after all, had been his lover in the same way Iris had been Storm's. The separation from Scarlet must've hurt someone as soft as Theodore terribly, but he was good at hiding it behind a smile. It pained Storm to think how good humanity was at lying like this. Life would've been so much easier if everyone was honest with how they felt. But then again, she had no room to talk, hiding behind a mask of indifference for a whole decade before Iris coaxed out a real smile from her…

"Sure," Storm echoed Theodore's remark, feeling as empty as Iris had looked when she was taken away, surrendered to a new alpha (the Asylum leader). She went home after that, then cried herself to sleep yet again. She had gone from never crying at all to crying every single night. At least when Iris was here, she had the body. Now, she had nothing. It was a hole in her world and heart that she felt would never be filled again.

At the end of those three months apart, Storm reached her own end. Staying away from Iris was harder than she thought and the memories of what Iris used to be and never would be again just became too much. Storm left Gale and Mae in charge for the next few days while she went out for a walk. Halfway through the first day, Storm got ready to complete the real reason she came out here. She was going to end it all. As dark and terrible as that sounded, she had been on this road for a very long time. This was just the only time she'd reached a low enough point to dare to do what she was going to attempt now. Storm went to their private spot in the training wood where it all began. Seeing the place filled Storm with bittersweet memories of the lively and human Iris. At last, it just became too much. This place didn't feel like home anymore.

"I'm ready to die now!" Storm cried to the empty training area. "I'm ready to die, if you want to take me!" she held her arms out, but nothing happened. "Please, somebody take me," she whimpered. "Please… I want to go home..." then Storm fell to her knees and began to cry. It went from a few tears to howling in grief and rage. She spent a good hour or so wailing out all of her emotional pain. Finally, though, the tears stopped and only a hollow and distant peace remained. She pulled out her dagger-sword, the one Iris made for her to match. She looked at the once-bright and beautiful blade and its precious gems with red eyes. It was so warm and sunny out. It didn't feel right at all.

"Oh come on! I worked so hard to get all the way back here and you're about to go off on another adventure without me?!" a voice suddenly cried out as Storm contemplated her knife. Her head jerked up. She knew that voice! But how? She tried to see through her own tears and all the trees of the forest, but she couldn't see anyone.

"Alright, hold on, give me a second!" the voice insisted. Finally, then, someone came into view.

"Iris?" Storm blinked her tears away and, sure enough, her lover was coming at her from the trees. Storm peered into those purple orbs and, in just a look, she knew what no word could ever say. Storm could see pupils, whites, irises and, most of all, she could see intelligence, knowing, memory and love. It was the real Iris, back to full health without a Noctifer trait to be seen. It was Iris just as sure as she was Storm.

"Iris," Storm mumbled Iris' name again, but this time, it was not question. Nor was the identity of this stranger who was still fast approaching.

"Storm!" Iris murmured, kneeling beside Storm. The pair stared into each other's eyes for one single second, then they were both reduced to sobbing messes as they fell into one another's arms after far too long apart.

When the pair finally broke apart, Iris gave Storm a sad smile.

"Looks like we got a lot of repair work to do," she said. Storm had since dropped her dagger, but it was still right beside them. "But I'm here now and I'm ready to do all I can to fix it," she said with a determined sigh.

"You already have," Storm whispered, then she slowly pulled Iris in for a kiss. Iris was more than happy to oblige and they didn't break apart for a good while more. It was so wonderful to be home!

Following Iris' return to Camp Heath, a party was thrown for her and over the party's dinner, she explained how she had managed to come back from such a seemingly lasting state of mind. She said that the recovery came from something far simpler than a miracle drug. It came from love and memory, as cliché as it was. But it was true! During Iris' stay at the Labelle's hospital, somebody tried to take the knife Storm had given her away. Even though Iris was just a hollow shell at this point, a memory so strong and sweet was tied to that knife that the act of somebody trying to remove it woke her up when nothing else would. And the rest was history.

Over the past months, Iris had been slowly but surely waking up, trying to remember why that knife was so important to her. When the epiphany finally hit her, all her other memories slowly rained down into place as well. Day by day, bit by bit, her life came back to her and Iris remembered everyone and everything. Then, once she had her memories back, it became her main goal to do the same with all her friends. That took awhile but, in time, every person managed to find something important enough to them in their human lives that it reached out to them even in their Noctifer lives. Soon, everyone was human again and headed home after several thorough exams by doctors to prove that they really were cured. They all figured that those little items had acted as triggers, awakening something deep within them that was so essential to their being that even Grau's mind-wipe into Noctifer mode couldn't undo it. It was like using aromatherapy to help those with memory loss.

So now, even though Iris was still half Noctifer, that wild side of her was well-controlled by her more experienced human side. Besides, the strong memories saved her once, they could do it again. So finally, Iris was going home! After that battle with her own mind, Iris had come out on top and was able to save all of her fellow Gifted as well and they were, after much bargaining, finally sent home. Now, here Iris stood, at Storm's side once again. It was a wonderful feeling!

Then, over the next year, joyful reunion filled the war camps as repair work sped on. Theodore had a real wedding with Scarlet, Rexus reunited with his baby sister (and started a romance with one of his old friends) and Iris spent that the next year not only keep a purple eye on her hybrids and helping fix camps, but she also got caught up on the year she missed.

"I can't believe I missed the wedding!" Iris sighed, referring to Jason, Eastla and their move to Camp Reed. "I'd better send them a present…" but in her heart, she was ecstatic that Jason had finally found a wife. In addition, Northson formally retired and a man named Pascal Pascal took over. He had been one of the leading scientists on the bomb project and had been Danielle's copilot when they actually dropped the thing on the Noctifers. He was a nice enough fellow. The leader spot had originally been open to Eastla, but she declined, not wanting to be in charge, so Pascal became the next leader instead. Westford had also been offered the lead role, but he followed his father into retirement, finally perusing his dream career in using his mind for peace and not war.

As for Camp Greene, Tanya and Angelina continued to rule well and they sent out gifts to all the recovered soldiers despite having none of their own to welcome back. But it had been discovered that there were still a lot of hybrids in Denbar, they just weren't of age yet to be in the army. For that, a new rule was established that whenever a new Hybrid came of age, they would be required to perform at least six months of army training with a Gifted as their mentor. It was also intended for all the Hybrids to be evenly divided up amongst the four war camps. According to Grau's files, he created two Gifted per year after the war began. It was decided then that the first batch would be given to Camp Heath and Reed. The second would go to Camp Greene and Steuben. They would go back and forth from there, ensuring that each camp had roughly the same number of Gifted. But this meant Camp Greene was going to need a bit of help since they had no Gifted of their own.

Of course, not every moment was happy. Among others, Iris had to mourn her fallen hybrids, Tempest, Captain, Lester and Rusty (who was surely with Clover again), but mostly, the time of Iris' return was happy. One of her best points was with her mother. Mae was in ecstasy to have her baby back and they cried for almost an hour at their mini, private reunion. Once they finally stopped crying, however, Iris managed to tell them the truth behind her escape and Mae promised that she still loved Iris, Noctifer or not.

"I was so scared for the whole year you were away," Mae whispered, eyes red from crying. "If you think I'll love you any less for something neither of us could control, you have never been more wrong in your life. I, truthfully, almost want to thank Grau for his experiments because, without them, I would never have had you. Noctifer or human or both or neither, you are mine and you will always be mine!" then the tiny blond began to sob again, Iris echoing the sounds out of relief and pure love for her mother.

But, at the same time, Iris had to cope with the loss of her dad and uncle and the fact that they never really got to say goodbye. On the bright side, though, Mae said she was planning to stay as a full doctor of Camp Heath because Dr. Longwood was moving to Camp Reed with Jason. So Iris' time as a restored human who had finally come back home passed like a dream as the reparations were finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I'm sorry if Storm's attempt seems sudden, but that was because I didn't write out her descent into that point and I'm sorry if Iris' recovery seems just as sudden, but to write both out in full would've required a fourth section of this story and I think it's winding down to a good ending place. 
> 
> I'm also sorry if the way I brushed over Storm's attempt seems like me just using suicide for drama. I assure you I do not intend for it to come off that way and I will delete that part entirely if someone comments to tell me that it's problematic/insensitive/offensive etc.
> 
> National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255


	68. Symbol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Last chapter! Congrats to making it to the end! I hope you enjoyed the ride and apologize if you didn't, but hey, come on, you gotta at least love the romance between the main two protagonists, eh? 
> 
> Also, previous chapter recap for those who skipped: It was predominantly description about how the last finishing touches were put on the four war camps and once it's all done, Storm feels like she has no excuse to exist anymore, especially since Iris is gone and all the war camps are fixed. Iris stops her before anything can happen, having dragged her way back into humanity and remembrance. And when she wakes up, she is able to help all the other survivors wake up too and they are all able to go home, restored to who and where they used to be. That's where the chapter ends: Iris is home and Storm is alive and everyone (from Mae to Gale to Maxim, who is retired) is happy. Now, onto the last chapter...

The war was over, but things were still changing fast. For worse and better, Denbar would never be the same again. From the macro to the micro, the country was changing. But even amidst such a busy time in Denbarian history, there was always moment to spare for Iris and Storm. It happened on one particular night, September first, on Iris' 23rd birthday. It was also their fourth year as a couple and fifth since they'd first met.

The two lay side by side in Storm's bed, a second one finally being brought in for Iris that was currently pressed up against Storm's bed so that the two could lie in each other's arms. It felt so strange to both of them to think that, in this one little moment, everything and nothing had changed. On the one hand, they were very different from what they had been five years ago when Iris was still only 18, but on the other, just lying in the dark in each other's arms felt so very familiar and old, like nothing had changed for them at all. The love was still very much there, after all, and that was all that really mattered, right?

"You never told me what your saving memory was," Storm said suddenly as they lay together in the dark. "I mean, I know it was your knife. But what about it really? What about the knife saved you? Why won't you tell me specifically?" the blond looked at Iris through the dark.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to know until now," Iris replied playfully. "I like to keep you waiting."

"Don't I know!" Storm snorted, fully back to her sarcastic self now that she knew Iris was safe with her again. "So tell me now, please."

"Well, I just thought of me and you," Iris shrugged. "I thought of Iris and Storm," then Iris elaborated.

After being committed to Labelle's asylum, she was stripped of everything, including the knife Storm gave Iris the night Iris became a soldier. Although Iris had been a Noctifer, something deep inside her felt connected to that knife and she refused to give it up. Then, the more she focused on the knife, the more her memories returned until her human side was in control. Every night, she thought of Iris and Storm and all they went through over the past five years as comrades and friends. Iris' saving memory was of the night Storm gave her that little knife and then every other memory to follow that first one had been all about all the things they did together from their first meeting to the last kiss they shared before Iris was forced into her Noctifer side.

"So you did save me," Iris promised, showing Storm the old knife. It was battered, but still in one piece. Kind of like its owner and maker. "Without you, I would've lost myself forever. That knife was a symbol..." the tiny brunette murmured as she stared both at Storm and her knife. Storm wanted to snap at Iris for being so darn sappy about all the memories and salvation, but she was too choked up. Instead, she could only meet Iris' beautiful, purple eyes, but that was enough. Purple met blue. "You saved me and you brought me home…"

"I've missed you so much," Storm answered, voice cracking. "I was so afraid that I had lost you."

"I know Storm. But you didn't. I'm here now," Iris replied. "And I won't leave you again. We'll be together forever this time. Iris and Storm."

For a moment, silence reigned between them as both of them tried to find their composure again. Iris was the first to recover.

"That knife," she said, pointing to the object still in Storm's hand, "Is not the only thing acting as a symbol of our relationship though."

"Oh, really?" Storm gave a wet laugh, trying hard to keep her tears at bay as Iris stared deeply into her eyes.

"Really," the tiny brunette drew away from Storm, sitting up. Storm seemed surprised by the sudden loss of contact with Iris, but she sat up too. The purple-eyed soldier fished around for something in the sheath she had for Storm's dagger-sword. When she finally managed to get a grip on it, Storm felt her own grip on her self-control begin to fall. It was a ring. A small golden band with an amethyst and aquamarine at the very top.

"Are you serious?" Storm was shaking violently, never having been so scared or excited in her whole life.

"Absolutely," Iris held the little ring out. Although she wasn't shaking, Storm could see the way her purple eyes were shining that she was just as scared as Storm. This proposal was a pretty big deal, and no doubt, Iris was worried that it felt too soon to be thinking about such things, but she refused to wait a moment longer and had thrown all she had into this one little question. She continued to hold the shining ring out to Storm, a symbol of what she thought of when she thought of the love that they shared. Storm took the ring and inspected it closely in the moonlight. Engraved on the inside of that gold ring were three simple words and Storm was able to respond to Iris' silent question in two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So there you go. You did it, you made it, it's over, the story is over. After years of writing (started in 2015) and months of posting, Iris' first story is over. I really hope the conclusion was more sweet than cheesy, but I'll take either now because, to be honest, I really am satisfied with how this story turned out. Sure, there's a lot I could fix, but I'm still proud with it. This was not easy to write and went through a lot of drafts. This finished product is vastly different from the very first draft, but I'm still proud of it and how its grown. This story really is like my child, and so are all the characters within in. So I implore you, even if you hated the story and thought my writing technique sucked, be kind and gentle. This story was written with good intention, but that sometimes gets lost in translation, so be nice, I thank you all so much for reading and I hold my reviewers in particular in very high regard. Thank you all for your feedback! 
> 
> One last shout out to the best of them all: penguinlover611! 
> 
> Also, if you paid attention, I said "first" story. I have three short prequels and two long sequels (about as long as this story was) along with a character list and several fanfics (of my own works because I'm that arrogant and narcissistic) already written out, but it will be a long time before any of them reach you guys. I'm taking a break from Denbar for now, but I will come back. The story is not over, not even close!


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